#36 - Jefferson Sanchez, Founder at Torque AI
Slice of Construction Team
02/18/2025
Join us in this exciting episode of the Slice of Construction podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor! Our Guest: Jefferson Sanchez, Founder at Torque AI.
What you’ll get out of this episode:
- From Construction to AI – Jefferson’s journey from hands-on construction work to founding Torque AI.
- AI for Field Workers – How conversational AI is changing daily workflows for foremen and superintendents.
- Navigating the Industry – Insights on the challenges of adopting AI in construction.
- Pivoting for Impact – How Torque AI is shifting focus to specialty contractors for maximum efficiency.
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From Construction Sites to Cutting-Edge AI
Jefferson Sanchez’s journey is anything but conventional. A first-generation immigrant with a background in construction, he worked his way up from hands-on trades to founding Torque AI. With multiple degrees from MIT and the University of Michigan, he initially pursued a PhD but ultimately shifted gears, recognizing a greater opportunity in construction technology.
Starting in the family business, Sanchez built a successful tech-enabled general contracting company, streamlining processes with data-driven marketing and internal tech tools. But he saw a bigger issue: construction tech often overlooked the people doing the physical work—the foremen, superintendents, and laborers.
Bridging the Gap: AI for Construction Field Teams
Torque AI focuses on making life easier for those on-site by eliminating paperwork bottlenecks and improving communication. The key pain point? Construction workers spend long hours on-site and then have to spend additional hours inputting information into back-end systems. Sanchez realized that conversational AI could significantly reduce this burden.
By allowing workers to simply talk through their reports—whether it's tracking RFIs (Requests for Information), documenting material shortages, or updating progress—AI can capture and organize critical project details. However, Sanchez quickly discovered that while this feature was useful, it wasn’t a standalone business model. It was a "vitamin," not a "painkiller".
The Business Challenge: Pivoting for Real Impact
Many AI-driven startups in construction fail because they don’t fully understand the industry. Access to construction sites is difficult, and traditional Silicon Valley approaches to raising funds and building software don’t always translate well to the real-world chaos of construction projects. Sanchez took a different approach—immersing himself in project sites worth over a billion dollars in total value to truly understand field workflows.
His key realization? The core issue wasn’t just streamlining communication—it was fixing fragmented workflows. Many specialty contractors (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) still rely heavily on paper-based systems despite managing complex pre-fabrication, logistics, and installations. There was no AI-driven solution designed specifically for their needs.
Torque AI’s New Direction: An Operating System for Specialty Contractors
Now in the middle of a strategic pivot, Torque AI is shifting from a simple AI assistant to an integrated operating system for specialty contractors. Positioned as a cross between Procore and Palantir, the goal is to create a collaboration platform tailored for subcontractors managing large portions of a project’s installed value.
This shift is crucial because specialty contractors are often overlooked in the tech landscape, yet they handle a significant portion of the work. With better data integration and AI-powered insights, Torque AI aims to bridge this gap and transform how specialty contractors operate.
Final Thoughts: AI’s Role in Construction’s Future
The construction industry is often slow to adopt new technology, but AI has the potential to drive real change. While robots and automation may be a distant future for many hands-on jobs, AI-driven workflow solutions are already making an impact. By focusing on solving core inefficiencies rather than chasing trends, Jefferson Sanchez and Torque AI are setting a new standard for construction technology.
