expandAI
expandAI is a German AI SaaS platform that automates sewer and canal TV inspection video analysis using computer vision, producing DWA-M 149-2 and Isybau2017-compliant reports for inspection firms, municipalities, and pipe cleaning companies in the DACH region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLübeck, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What expandAI does
expandAI GmbH is a German AI software company headquartered in Lübeck and a spin-off from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). It operates a cloud-based SaaS platform called KI Kanalinspektion that uses computer vision and natural language processing to automatically analyze sewer and canal TV inspection footage, detect and classify damage (cracks, deposits, root intrusion, corrosion, deformations, obstacles, leaks, house connection defects) according to DWA-M 149-2 and DIN EN 13508-2 standards, and export norm-compliant PDF performance reports and Isybau2017/Isybau2013 XML files. The platform supports an inspector-in-the-loop verification workflow and processes all data in GDPR-compliant German data centers.
The company targets inspection firms, pipe cleaning companies, independent canal inspectors, municipalities, municipal utilities, and engineering consultancies in the DACH region. Its commercial model is usage-based with three tiers: a free tier offering 5 inspections per month, a PRO tier at €0.40 per metre with 1,500 metres included monthly, and a MAX tier at €0.28 per metre with 5,000 metres included monthly. Distribution is product-led via the website (expandai.de) with a self-serve free tier driving word-of-mouth adoption, complemented by a request-demo sales motion for enterprise and municipal leads. The company has 6 employees and is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds or revenue figures; it currently supports house connection inspections while main channels and manholes are in active development.
expandAI firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- expandAI
- Legal name
- expandAI GmbH
- Website
- https://expandai.de
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- expandAI is a German AI SaaS platform that automates sewer and canal TV inspection video analysis using computer vision, producing DWA-M 149-2 and Isybau2017-compliant reports for inspection firms, municipalities, and pipe cleaning companies in the DACH region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where expandAI is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lübeck
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
expandAI business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- AI Canal Inspection Platform (Pay-per-Use): expandAI is offered as a pay-per-use platform with tiered pricing. Users are charged based on the number of metres inspected per month. The FREE tier provides 5 inspections per month at no cost. The PRO tier starts at €0.40 per metre with 1,500 m included monthly. The MAX tier for inspection firms starts at €0.28 per metre with 5,000 m included monthly. Revenue is usage-based and recurring from subscription-tier customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | FREE — 5 inspections per month at no cost |
| Usage-based | Monthly | PRO — Starting at €0.40/m with 1,500 m/month included |
| Usage-based | Monthly | MAX — Starting at €0.28/m with 5,000 m/month included |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
expandAI product offering
Product offeringCore offering
expandAI provides a cloud-based AI platform that automatically analyses TV inspection (Kanal-TV) videos of sewer and house connections, detecting and classifying damage such as cracks, deposits, root intrusion, corrosion, deformations, obstacles, leaks, and house-connection defects according to DWA-M 149-2 and DIN EN 13508-2 standards. After an inspector verifies the AI suggestions, the platform exports a norm-compliant PDF performance report and Isybau2017/2013 XML with one click, reducing manual review time from 1–2 days per shift to same-day delivery. The service is sold on a usage-based subscription (FREE, PRO, MAX tiers) to inspection firms, pipe cleaning companies, municipalities, and engineering offices in the DACH region.
Product overview
expandAI offers a unified AI-powered canal inspection platform called KI Kanalinspektion, consisting of a cloud-based software service for automated TV inspection video analysis. The platform is available through three pricing tiers: FREE (5 inspections/month free), PRO (€0.40/meter with 1,500m monthly), and MAX (€0.28/meter with 5,000m monthly). Currently focused on house connection inspections, with main channels and manholes in active development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- KI Kanalinspektion (AI Canal Inspection Platform) Cloud-based AI software that ingests TV inspection (Kanal-TV) videos and XML files of sewer and house connections, automatically detects and classifies damage such as cracks, deposits, root intrusion, corrosion, deformations, obstacles, leaks, and house-connection defects according to DWA-M 149-2 and DIN EN 13508-2 standards, and exports norm-compliant PDF performance reports and Isybau2017/2013 XML files. An inspector verifies the AI suggestions before one-click export. The product is aimed at professional inspection firms, pipe cleaning companies, independent canal inspectors, municipalities, municipal utilities, and engineering consultancies in the DACH region.
Quantifiable outcome
- Sichtungszeit pro Schicht reduziert von zwei Tagen auf unter eine Stunde (Inspection review time per shift reduced from 2 days to under 1 hour)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use expandAI
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles10 records
expandAI technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature5 records
expandAI partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- DFKI (Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz)coreexpandAI is a spin-off (Ausgründung) from the DFKI (German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence), located in Lübeck. The company's AI technology for canal inspection is rooted in research developed within the DFKI environment, representing a core strategic partnership that underpins the company's technical foundation and credibility.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
expandAI competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Scanprobe Technique: Scanprobe is a UK-based provider of pipe and sewer CCTV inspection systems and reporting software. It is comparable in serving municipal and contractor inspection workflows but operates primarily in the UK rather than Germany.
Broad incumbents
- Aries Industries: Aries Industries produces sewer and pipeline CCTV inspection equipment and reporting software for municipal and contractor customers. It addresses the same inspection workflow as expandAI and could add AI-driven review capabilities.
- IBAK Helmut Hunger: IBAK is a leading German manufacturer of sewer TV inspection cameras, crawlers, and inspection software. It addresses the same German municipal and inspection-firm customers that expandAI targets and could bundle AI analytics into its hardware/software stack.
- Envirosight: Envirosight supplies robotic sewer inspection cameras and inspection reporting software to municipalities and contractors across North America. It targets the same CCTV-based sewer inspection workflow and could integrate or partner with AI analytics providers.
- Rausch Electronics USA / Rausch GmbH: Rausch is a long-established manufacturer of sewer and pipe inspection systems, including CCTV crawlers and inspection software. It sells into the same municipal and contractor market that expandAI serves and could add AI-assisted review capabilities.
- WinCan: WinCan is the dominant sewer inspection data management software used by municipalities and inspection contractors globally. It competes with expandAI for the report-generation and inspection-data workflow layer that inspectors rely on, although WinCan has historically focused on data management rather than AI video analysis.
- CUES (Severn Trent Services): CUES is a US-based manufacturer of sewer, storm, and water pipeline inspection equipment and software. It is relevant as a broad incumbent in the sewer CCTV inspection market that could move into AI-assisted review.
- Esri (ArcGIS): Esri's ArcGIS platform is widely used by German Stadtwerke and engineering firms for sewer network and asset management. While not a direct inspection AI vendor, it is the dominant GIS layer that inspection data must integrate with, making it a strategic partner or competitor at the platform level.
Direct peers
- Kummert GmbH: Kummert is a German provider of sewer inspection software (such as Kanalworks) used by German municipalities and inspection firms for CCTV data capture and reporting. It is the most direct German software peer competing for the same inspection-firm workflow that expandAI automates.
- SewerAI: SewerAI is a US-based AI platform that automates sewer and storm water CCTV inspection review and coding. It is the closest direct peer to expandAI in applying computer vision to sewer TV inspection workflows, although it serves the North American market and PACP/MACP standards rather than DWA/Isybau.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
expandAI social profiles
Digital presenceexpandAI compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
expandAI financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
expandAI leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
expandAI funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
expandAI M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about expandAI
What does expandAI do?
expandAI provides a cloud-based AI platform that automatically analyses TV inspection (Kanal-TV) videos of sewer and house connections, detecting and classifying damage such as cracks, deposits, root intrusion, corrosion, deformations, obstacles, leaks, and house-connection defects according to DWA-M 149-2 and DIN EN 13508-2 standards. After an inspector verifies the AI suggestions, the platform exports a norm-compliant PDF performance report and Isybau2017/2013 XML with one click, reducing manual review time from 1–2 days per shift to same-day delivery. The service is sold on a usage-based subscription (FREE, PRO, MAX tiers) to inspection firms, pipe cleaning companies, municipalities, and engineering offices in the DACH region.
Is expandAI a public or private company?
expandAI is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was expandAI founded?
expandAI was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is expandAI based?
expandAI is headquartered in Lübeck, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does expandAI make money?
One revenue line is on record: AI Canal Inspection Platform (Pay-per-Use).
Who are expandAI's main competitors?
Scanprobe Technique is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Aries Industries, IBAK Helmut Hunger, Envirosight, Rausch Electronics USA / Rausch GmbH, WinCan, CUES (Severn Trent Services) and Esri (ArcGIS). Direct peers are Kummert GmbH and SewerAI.
Does expandAI have an API?
No public API is recorded for expandAI.