# Can AI revolutionize EPC?

- Show: [Catalyst](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst)
- Published: 2025-12-11
- Length: 35m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-12-11-can-ai-revolutionize-epc

## Summary

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.

## Chapters

- [2:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-12-11-can-ai-revolutionize-epc#t=165) Introduction: Alex Modon and Unlimited Industries
- [4:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-12-11-can-ai-revolutionize-epc#t=294) The Broken Incentive Structure of Traditional EPCs
- [10:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-12-11-can-ai-revolutionize-epc#t=646) The Problem of 'N-of-One' Projects and Lack of Learning
- [20:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-12-11-can-ai-revolutionize-epc#t=1205) Using AI to Accelerate Engineering and Reduce Uncertainty
- [23:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-12-11-can-ai-revolutionize-epc#t=1401) Integrated Software vs. Disparate Legacy Tools
- [26:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-12-11-can-ai-revolutionize-epc#t=1586) How AI Agents Execute Design Trades and Vendor Selection
- [28:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-12-11-can-ai-revolutionize-epc#t=1693) Data Centers as the Initial Use Case for Speed and Certainty
- [29:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-12-11-can-ai-revolutionize-epc#t=1781) Fixed-Price Contracts and Hedging Commodity Risks

## Topics

- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Unlimited Industries (company)
- EnergyHub (company)
- NVIDIA (company)
- ChatGPT (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Skills vs Agents — The Stack Everyone's Getting Wrong](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/built-2-scale/2026-05-03-skills-vs-agents-the-stack-everyones-getting-wrong) (Built 2 Scale)
- [Full-Stack AI, Zapier MCP & Limitless Pendant | $10 M Boring Tunnels](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/built-2-scale/2025-05-16-full-stack-ai-zapier-mcp-limitless-pendant-10-m-boring-tunnels) (Built 2 Scale)
- [AI-Powered PCB Supply Chain Management with Luminovo's Timon Ruban](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-06-24-ai-powered-pcb-supply-chain-management-with-luminovos-timon-ruban) (OnTrack)
- [A New Era of Design Engineering Productivity w/ Hugo Nordell](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2024-01-02-a-new-era-of-design-engineering-productivity-w-hugo-nordell) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Altium & Duro: The PLM Software Built for Hardware Startups](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2026-09-30-altium-duro-the-plm-software-built-for-hardware-startups) (OnTrack)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-12-11-can-ai-revolutionize-epc. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Catalyst.