Underground Infrastructure Safety

The ground has
a story.
We're telling it.

A gas line sits 18 inches below your feet.
Nobody knows exactly where.

Live Utility Map Generate Risk Report
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The Problem

Utility data is
dangerously fragmented.

Critical utility data is fragmented across dozens of disconnected systems — GIS databases, CAD files, paper as-builts, 811 records, utility company archives. No single contractor, engineer, or city department sees all of it. This is not an edge case. It's the default.

7+ Systems
Utility records are scattered across GIS databases, CAD files, 811 systems, paper as-builts, and utility company records — with no single source of truth
Weeks Lost
A single utility strike during excavation can halt a project for 2–6 weeks — triggering rework costs, contract penalties, and cascading schedule delays
No Standard
There is no standardized digital pre-excavation verification step. Every contractor checks differently. Most never have access to complete records

"This is a systemic infrastructure problem — and it's completely solvable with the right data layer."

Ian Salinas, Founder · Strata

The Fix

One trusted layer.
Everything underground.

We're not building a drone service or another GIS viewer. We're building the verified infrastructure layer every contractor, utility, and city checks before a single shovel hits the ground.

Drone mapping LiDAR scanning GIS software → Utility strike prevention Excavation risk intelligence Construction safety verification

Why Now

The window is
opening.

Four forces are making underground utility safety a regulatory and commercial priority — right now.

PHMSA Enforcement Tightening
The PIPES Act dramatically increased documentation requirements for gas operators. They need a verifiable paper trail for damage prevention. We are the paper trail.
Infrastructure Spending Surge
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act pushed $65B+ into grid and utility modernization. More federal dollars mean more excavation. More digging means more strike risk — and more demand for what we build.
Post-Dallas Public Scrutiny
Boards are now asking Damage Prevention Managers: "What are we doing to ensure this doesn't happen here?" We are the answer.
Insurance Requiring Documentation
Carriers writing excavation liability policies are beginning to require proof of damage prevention procedures. Documented pre-dig verification is moving from best practice to coverage requirement.

The Workflow

From permit
to verified safe.

The future state: before any excavation begins, Strata is the step that clears it.

01
Project submitted
Contractor submits job site location, scope, and excavation depth. Two minutes.
→
02
Utilities aggregated
Platform cross-references GIS records, 811 data, CAD files, and field survey history for that exact location.
→
03
Risk score generated
Conflict zones, aging infrastructure, and data gaps are flagged. A risk report issues with recommended clearances.
→
04
Excavation cleared
Safety certificate issued. Contractor breaks ground with verified knowledge of what's below — and documented proof they checked.

Who We Serve

Built for the people on the ground.

Four types of organizations pay for the consequences of missing utility data. We give all of them the same answer.

Gas & Electric Utilities
Own the infrastructure. Bear the liability. A single strike event costs $50K–$500K before regulatory fines and remediation. Damage prevention is already a named budget line — our pitch is cost reduction and documented compliance.
Atmos · CenterPoint · Oncor · ONE Gas · Southwest Gas
Excavation Contractors
Work the sites. Take the risk. Hit a gas line and face project shutdowns, fines, and lawsuits — or worse. They need certainty before breaking ground, fast.
Civil · General · Specialty Excavation Contractors
Civil Engineering Firms
Design the projects. Need complete utility data before a shovel moves. Current options — incomplete GIS, paper as-builts, paint marks that wash off in the rain — aren't good enough for a stamped drawing.
Surveyors · Infrastructure Consultants · Design-Build Firms
Public Works Departments
Manage aging infrastructure across entire cities. One strike on a critical main shuts down water, power, or gas for thousands. They own fragmented GIS databases with gaps going back decades — and they know it.
City Engineering · Transportation Depts · Municipal Utilities

Defensibility

The moat isn't technology.
It never was.

Anyone can buy a drone. Anyone can license GIS software. Our defensibility is data nobody else has, network effects nobody else has built, and regulatory position nobody else can occupy.

Data Integration
We combine what no one else has combined: GIS, CAD, permit records, 811 locate history, and field surveys into one verified, continuously-improving map. Each record ingested makes the platform more valuable for every user.
Network Effects
Every contractor adds field data. Every utility contributes records. The more projects completed on Strata, the more accurate the map — and the wider the gap grows between us and any competitor starting from scratch.
Regulatory Entrenchment
The endgame isn't a subscription product — it's a mandated safety checkpoint embedded in city permit systems and utility contractor programs. When regulators require our certification, switching costs become permanent.

Market Opportunity

A $30 billion problem
with no modern solution.

The underground utility damage market is massive, growing, and almost entirely unaddressed by modern software.

$30B
TAM
Total economic impact of underground utility strikes in the US — direct damage, repair, fines, liability, and operational downtime (CGA industry research)
$1.8B
SAM
Utility locating & underground mapping software market (industry estimates), growing 6–10% per year alongside $2.2T in US construction spending
$12.9M
SOM
Our Year 5 revenue target — less than 1% of SAM, single-region, conservative case

The Financial Plan

A business built to
compound.

Conservative projections. Profitability by Year 5. $23.6M cumulative revenue across five years, cash positive throughout.

Year 1 · 2026
$244K
5 people
Year 2 · 2027
$1.1M
11 people
Year 3 · 2028
$2.9M
19 people
Year 4 · 2029
$6.5M
32 people
Year 5 · 2030
$12.9M
48 people
Revenue by Stream — 5-Year Build
Safety Reports & Subscriptions On-Site Scanning Field App Seats Risk Alerts & Insurers Required Safety Checks
5-Year Cumulative Revenue
$23.6M
$10.5M projected financing — $2.5M seed target (2026), $8M Series A target (2028). EBITDA-positive by Year 5. Cash stays positive throughout, tightest point (~$510K) at end of Year 2.

Live Prototype

Try it now.

Both tools run live in your browser — no login, no install. Querying real federal, state, and municipal data for Dallas, TX.

Live
Live Utility Map
Pan anywhere in Dallas and see underground utility lines load in real time. Gas, electric, water, sewer, telecom — color-coded by risk. Toggle parcel boundaries, switch basemaps, click any line to inspect it.
Open Map Viewer →
 Live
Site Risk Report
Enter any Dallas address and radius. Strata queries PHMSA federal pipelines, Texas RRC, HIFLD electric, and OpenStreetMap — scores excavation risk 0–100 and generates a printable safety report in seconds.
Generate a Report →

The Mission

The operating system
for underground
infrastructure.

One trusted layer. Every utility. Every contractor. Every city.
Before the first shovel hits the ground.

Open the Live Map → Request Early Access →

Strata · Limited early access · Dallas, TX · 2026