Join us in this exciting episode of the Slice of Construction podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor! Our Guest: Victor Zhang, Co-Founder & CEO at Trestle.

What you’ll get out of this episode:

• From Civil Engineering to AI-Driven Construction: Victor Zhang’s journey from infrastructure projects to co-founding Trestle.

• The Birth of Trestle: How Zhang identified a data gap in construction risk management and built a solution.

• AI in Risk Assessment: How Trestle's AI replicates risk managers’ expertise to streamline contractor-vendor partnerships.

• Overcoming Startup Challenges: The struggles of early product failures, gaining industry traction, and refining their market approach.

• What’s Next for Trestle: Expanding partnerships, network effects, and improving vendor-contractor collaboration.

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A Civil Engineer’s Leap into Tech

Victor Zhang’s career began in civil engineering, constructing large-scale infrastructure projects like bridges and wastewater treatment plants. But after years in the industry, he saw a major problem—construction risk management relied heavily on word-of-mouth data rather than structured insights. This realization led him to co-found Trestle, a platform that uses AI to streamline contractor-vendor relationships.

The Trestle Vision: AI-Powered Risk Management

Trestle’s core offering is an AI-driven system that mimics human risk managers, allowing general contractors to assess vendors in real time. This technology enables faster, data-backed decision-making, reducing project risk while optimizing the bidding and hiring process. According to Zhang, Trestle’s unique ability to replicate a risk manager’s pattern recognition at scale is its major differentiator.

Early Challenges & Lessons Learned

Like many startups, Trestle faced initial hurdles. Their first product attempt lacked proper market validation, leading to setbacks. Zhang admitted that even with deep industry experience, they underestimated the need for rigorous customer research. Additionally, breaking into the construction tech space—where reputation and trust are paramount—proved to be an uphill battle.

The Power of Network Effects in Construction

Trestle's platform thrives on a network effect, benefiting both general contractors and subcontractors. By providing real-time insights, analytics, and vendor qualification data, the platform helps streamline workflows and build stronger, more profitable relationships across the industry.

What’s Next: Expansion & Industry Collaboration

Looking ahead, Trestle is focusing on expanding its partnerships and hosting industry events that foster direct connections between contractors and subcontractors. Zhang is also set to speak at the AGC Tech Expo, addressing the need for better software integration in construction.

Closing Thoughts

Trestle is more than just another construction software—it’s a bridge between traditional risk management and modern AI-powered efficiency. With its growing adoption, Zhang’s vision of a more transparent and data-driven construction industry is quickly becoming reality.

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