The Shodan for the real world

Shodan is for the internet, but what's the equivalent for the physical world? We're mapping every power line, cell tower, and data center to create a queryable, real-time map of our global infrastructure.

The Shodan for the real world
A single query peels back the surface of the world to reveal the intricate, hidden networks of infrastructure that lie just beneath.
Note: A generated audio podcast of this episode is included below for paid subscribers.

⚡ The Signal

The internet has Shodan, a search engine for every device connected to the web. But what about the physical world? The demand for a similar tool for real-world infrastructure is quietly surging, as shown by the enthusiastic response to a recent project that used OpenStreetMap data to let users run Shodan-style queries for things like wind turbines and cell towers. This isn't a niche interest; it's a new frontier for intelligence.

🚧 The Problem

We have incredibly detailed maps of streets and coffee shops, but the critical infrastructure that powers our world—power grids, data centers, pipelines, fiber optic cables—is largely invisible and poorly understood by the public. This obscurity is dangerous. As we see increasing strain on our systems, from Texas deep freezes shutting down industrial sites to the massive energy demands of new AI data centers, we lack a simple way to ask basic questions about the physical world around us. Where are the vulnerabilities? Where are the opportunities?

🚀 The Solution

Enter Gryd. It’s a search engine for the physical world. Gryd allows anyone to instantly query and visualize the world's infrastructure on a single, user-friendly map. Think of it as a Bloomberg Terminal for physical assets. Want to see every EV charging station within a 5-mile radius of a new housing development? Or map all the substations in a region prone to blackouts? Gryd gives you the power to query reality, peeling back the consumer-facing map to reveal the systems that actually run our society.