Hardware Podcasts

Can AI revolutionize EPC?

Catalyst · 11 Dec 2025 · 35m

AI in practice: 3 real uses of AI described

What this episode covers

Alex Modon, co-founder and CEO of Unlimited Industries, explains how his startup uses AI and integrated software to revolutionize Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) for large capital projects like data centers. He argues that traditional EPC firms suffer from misaligned incentives in cost-plus or fixed-price contracts that rely on change orders, leading to cost overruns and delays. By using an AI-native platform to complete 100% of engineering design before securing financing, Unlimited Industries can offer true fixed-price contracts with no change orders, thereby eliminating risk and optimizing costs.

AI in practice

Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.

DesignUnlimited Industries' internal AI platform

The company uses an AI-native platform to automate engineering tasks and explore design trade-offs, allowing engineers to define projects to 100% completion before funding, which removes uncertainty and enables fixed-price contracts.

“we have a software and uh, kind of like an AI native version of this that helps accelerate the chemical design, mechanical, electrical, civil, structural um, controls. And in doing that, we basically are building a platform that allows us to remove that risk, but at a very, very low marginal cost.”

Alex Modon · Hear it at 20:32

DesignLLM integrated with proprietary tools

An LLM is used to execute specific design tasks, such as exploring material or conveyance trade-offs, by accessing project data and using fed simulation software and vendor spec sheets to provide total cost of ownership analysis.

“RAI will go explore that different design path. That's a trade that you would give to an engineer. And you say, hey, go spend a week, like assess the trade-off between using, um, you know, belt conveyance or pneumatic conveyance for some sort of material handling problem, and then tell me back what what do we feel like is the right, um, kind of total cost of ownership trade? And it'll just explore that.”

Alex Modon · Hear it at 26:26

DesignUnlimited Industries' internal AI platform

The platform integrates disparate engineering tools into a single data model, allowing AI to automate workflows and version control, which significantly augments engineers' ability to iterate and optimize designs within the same time and capital constraints.

“So now sometimes our engineers will do some sort of work manually within one of our softwares, um, but often they will dedicate a, or they, um, kind of delegate a task to an AI that knows how to use all those tools in our software so that it can do that design task and then surface that back to the engineer who delegate it.”

Alex Modon · Hear it at 23:21

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Unlimited Industries, EnergyHub, NVIDIA
Products
ChatGPT

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Built 2 Scale · 54m

    Skills vs Agents — The Stack Everyone's Getting Wrong

    Scott Wilcox, founder of W. Build, and Matt Perrott, co-founder of BuildPass, discuss their approach to integrating AI into construction operations, focusing on a framework called DMISA (Direction, Measure, Incentivize, Systemize, Automate). They detail a specific success where BuildPass reduced invoice processing costs from $5–$10 to half a cent using agents, and explain how W. Build is using its WVC accelerator to bring trade partners into this AI-enabled ecosystem. The conversation emphasizes that the new competitive moat is velocity and alignment, with 2026 being a critical year for choosing between legacy systems and AI-driven abundance.

    Connected products & IoTScaling production
    9 chapters

  • Built 2 Scale · 1h 02m

    Full-Stack AI, Zapier MCP & Limitless Pendant | $10 M Boring Tunnels

    Scott Wilcox of W Build and Matt Perrott of Build Pass discuss the Limitless Pendant, noting its note-taking capabilities but highlighting the critical lack of 'Find My' integration which led to Scott losing the device. They analyze Y Combinator’s 'full-stack AI' concept, with Wilcox explaining Elysium’s vision for vertically integrated, autonomous home ecosystems involving Nvidia and Autodesk. The hosts also cover Zapier’s new MCP server enabling AI agents to access 8,000 apps, OpenAI’s hiring of Fidji Simo, and The Boring Company’s autonomous tunnels reducing construction costs to 1% of traditional methods.

    Connected products & IoTAI & machine learning
    8 chapters

  • OnTrack · 46m

    AI-Powered PCB Supply Chain Management with Luminovo's Timon Ruban

    Timon Ruban, founder and managing director of Luminovo, explains how his company uses AI to automate PCB supply chain management, quoting, and risk analysis for contract manufacturers and OEMs. He details the platform's ability to extract specifications from Gerber files to provide instant PCB pricing and discusses the shift from manual Excel-based workflows to strategic monitoring of component costs and lifecycle risks. Ruban also outlines the roadmap for integrating large language models to handle complex data ingestion, such as messy BOMs and PDF specifications, and future features like supplier relationship management.

    Sourcing & supply chainAI & machine learning
    8 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 37m

    A New Era of Design Engineering Productivity w/ Hugo Nordell

    Hugo Nordell, founder and CEO of Encube, explains how his software addresses the gap between design intent and manufacturability by leveraging AI to predict CNC machining costs and climate impact at the point of design. He argues that decades-old engineering software paradigms are failing modern manufacturers due to a severe talent scarcity, where new engineers lack shop-floor experience, and rapidly changing supply chains driven by reshoring and sustainability legislation. Nordell details how Encube’s platform uses machine learning to simplify complex simulations and provide real-time feedback on manufacturability, aiming to unlock 10x productivity growth for companies like Volvo and major aerospace contractors.

    Design for manufacturing & NPIAI & machine learning
    6 chapters

  • OnTrack · 31m

    Altium & Duro: The PLM Software Built for Hardware Startups

    Michael Corr, founder and CEO of Duro, explains why Altium acquired his cloud-based PLM platform to help hardware startups and small engineering teams manage product data without heavy IT overhead. He details how the Altium Designer plugin publishes library parts and full projects into Duro with part numbers and revision status, while the deeper integration within Altium 365 allows seamless switching between the two interfaces. Corr also highlights Duro's new AI agents that act as RF, mechanical DFM, and supply chain specialists to review change orders for teams that cannot hire those specialized roles. Finally, he emphasizes Duro's API-first architecture, which is designed to be easily consumed by AI coding agents to build custom integrations and extensions.

    Connected products & IoTAI & machine learning
    9 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Catalyst. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.