Drillers.ai pitches physics-AI digital twin at IADC event

Startup pitches AI drilling digital twin at IADC Spark Tank

Drillers.ai founder Sai Rao presented a physics-AI wellbore digital twin to industry judges at IADC's Advanced Rig Technology Spark Tank.

By OGGN Staff·14 Aug 2026, 08:00·1 min read

Drilling rig silhouettes at sunset, Niger Delta

Example of an onshore drilling rig in the Niger Delta, not the site in this story. Photo: Julius A OBARO, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The IADC Advanced Rig Technology (ART) Committee held a Spark Tank event on 28 July to encourage innovation in upstream drilling technology, modeling the forum on the TV show Shark Tank. The format lets technology entrepreneurs and emerging companies pitch their products to a panel of drilling contractors, operators and service companies who act as judges.

Sai Rao of the startup drillers.ai pitched a physics-AI drilling digital twin, a transient wellbore simulator built to cover the full hole section sequence: interpreting integrity tests, drilling, running casing and cementing.

In an interview with Drilling Contractor, Rao described what the digital twin does, where the technology stands in its development cycle, and how it fits into a larger plan to build an AI-native operating system for wells.

Why it matters

A physics-AI digital twin that models integrity tests, drilling, casing and cementing in one system could give drilling contractors and operators an earlier read on wellbore problems before they cost rig time. IADC's Spark Tank format also shows the trade group is willing to put early-stage drilling software companies like drillers.ai in front of contractors and operators directly.

What's next. Watch whether drillers.ai moves the digital twin from pitch to field use, and whether any of the drilling contractors, operators or service companies who judged the Spark Tank pick it up.

Sources

PrimaryDrilling Contractor · drillingcontractor.org

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