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Key people at vGIS.
vGIS provides an augmented reality and digital twin platform for infrastructure, construction, and utility industries. Its core product integrates BIM and GIS data, empowering field crews with 3D visualizations. This technology improves accuracy, optimizes workflows, and prevents utility strikes via accessible, real-time, on-site data.
Founded in 2017 by Alec Pestov, vGIS emerged from the insight that critical design and GIS data remained underutilized by field teams, often confined to static, two-dimensional formats. This limited access created inefficiencies and increased project costs. In 2022, the company launched its vSite platform to bridge this gap, connecting office data with actionable field operations.
The vGIS platform serves engineering, architecture, and construction firms globally, including utility contractors, asset owners, and subsurface project teams. Its vision is to streamline complex field operations, reduce risks, and convert project data into a strategic asset. It empowers teams to interact with critical information, making it instantly actionable on-site.
vGIS Inc. is a Toronto-based software company founded in 2016 that builds vSite, a Connected Construction Platform integrating AI-driven 3D digital twins, high-accuracy augmented reality (AR), and geospatial tools for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sector.[1][3][6] It serves field crews, engineers, constructors, and infrastructure owners by solving critical pain points like siloed data from BIM, GIS, and design drawings, which often lead to excavation damages, project delays, errors, and high costs—such as the $6B annual damage to buried infrastructure in North America.[2][3][4][6] vSite enables real-time visualization of underground utilities, 3D scanning of trenches, stakeouts, as-built documentation, and AI-powered quality checks, saving 12-20 hours per person monthly and reducing accidents by up to 50%.[2][5][6] With 11-50 employees and partnerships like Esri and Microsoft, vGIS has gained traction through awards, including Esri Partner Awards (2019, 2023) and Microsoft Partner of the Year Finalist (2018-2020).[1][3]
vGIS emerged in 2017 when founder Alec Pestov addressed a core field challenge: excavators damaging buried utilities due to poor visibility of underground infrastructure, a problem costing billions annually.[3][4] Pestov, envisioning "visual and practical" tools, developed a pioneering construction-grade AR app that overlaid holographic views of pipes, valves, and cables from GIS and BIM data, earning early awards for innovation.[3][4] Incorporated in 2016 in Toronto, the company started as a visualization specialist for spatially referenced data, supporting formats like ArcGIS, KML, and Shapefiles, with plans for Bentley integration.[1][4] Pivotal growth came in 2022 with vSite's launch, evolving AR expertise into a comprehensive platform uniting office data with field execution for utilities, locates, and documentation—transforming underused 2D/3D assets into actionable insights.[3][6]
vGIS rides the digital twin and AR convergence in AEC, where geospatial data from GIS, BIM, and sensors meets AI for infrastructure resilience amid urbanization and aging utilities.[1][3][5] Timing aligns with post-2020 pushes for field digitization, as 2D silos cause errors in a market facing labor shortages and $6B+ annual damages; vGIS bridges this by making data "field-ready."[3][4][6] Favorable forces include GNSS advancements, cloud scalability via Azure, and Esri ecosystem growth, positioning vGIS to cut costs/delays in a $10T+ global infrastructure spend.[2][7][8] It influences the ecosystem as an Esri/Microsoft partner, enabling hundreds of firms to adopt AR for safer, efficient workflows and setting standards for integrated reality capture in utilities and construction.[3][8][9]
vGIS is poised to dominate AR-digital twin niches in AEC with vSite's expansion into more GIS platforms (e.g., Bentley beta) and AI enhancements for automated inspections.[3][4][5] Trends like AI-edge computing, 5G for real-time twins, and regulatory mandates for damage prevention will accelerate adoption, especially in critical infrastructure.[6][7] Expect deeper federal/enterprise penetration via security options and partner networks, evolving vGIS from AR pioneer to essential platform—unlocking data's full value to slash billions in global project risks, much like its origins transformed "invisible" utilities into visible advantages.[2][3][4]
Key people at vGIS.
