Surfaice
Resources
Newsletters, talks, podcasts, press, and published research from the founding team, curated for operators, partners, and investors evaluating Surfaice.
ICSC · Press
ICSC Exchange: Construction PropTech & the AI Agent for Store Development
ICSC coverage of how AI agents are changing construction and store development workflows for retail real estate teams.
Read on ICSC (opens in a new tab)
In the spotlight
Pitch video, accelerator profile, and the June 2026 research report, useful context for diligence conversations.
Video · TechCrunch
TechCrunch pitch
Watch the Surfaice founding story and product vision as presented to the TechCrunch audience.
Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)Research Report · June 2026
The Retail AI Blind Spot
How 56 of the world’s leading retailers are deploying AI everywhere, except the most expensive decision they make. A multi-agent research report on the real-estate and construction AI gap.
Read the reportAccelerator · Portfolio
Plug and Play Tech Center
Surfaice in the Plug and Play portfolio, background, sector focus, and how partners can connect.
View startup profile (opens in a new tab)
Book excerpt
The Store Development AI Playbook
Part II, The shift that changes how you think about AI
AI is not what the vendor decks say it is. It's also not what the headlines say it is. In this part, Schaefer walks through the exact conversation that changed his thinking, why "teach before you automate" is the most important sentence in the book, and how a single 1 a.m. status email became a reusable prompt that now does an hour of work in 30 seconds.
Newsletters
Long-form writing from Joe Valeri and the Surfaice team on retail real estate and AI operations.
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Joe Valeri on Substack
Essays on retail real estate technology, store lifecycle systems, and enterprise software, from the founder of Lucernex.
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Surfaice on Substack
Field notes from the Surfaice team on AI in lease administration, construction, and multi-site retail operations.
The Build Trap
Joe Valeri on why enterprises that build their own agentic AI underestimate cost, time, and operational risk, with the full analysis on Surfaice.
Essay · Joe Valeri · Jun 2026
The Build Trap: Why Enterprises That Try to Build Their Own AI Will Pay Dearly
A data-driven look at in-house agentic AI TCO, talent timelines, and why vertical AI partners win in retail store lifecycle.
Podcasts
Podcast · Aug 2026 · ICSC PropTech Stage
Where We Buy, Trust Is the Real Barrier to AI in Retail Real Estate
Alim Uderbekov joined James Cook (JLL) live on the ICSC PropTech Stage in Las Vegas to discuss rolling out AI across retail real estate, and why trust, not technology, is the adoption bottleneck.
Podcast · May 2026
Retail Retold, AI Is Coming for Retail Operations
Joe Valeri and Alim Uderbekov join Chris Ressa (DLC Management) on episode #378 to discuss where AI is gaining traction across leasing, construction, and portfolio operations.
More press & publications
The field guide co-authored with Schaefer Jones (JD North America).
Book · 2026
The Store Development AI Playbook
A ~30-minute field guide on a year of real AI implementation inside a 4,000+ store global retail program, co-authored with Schaefer Jones (JD North America).
View
Guides & articles
Pillar research on store development, lease operations, and governed automation at scale.
PDF · Joe Valeri · October 2026
AI Governance Checklist for Retail Back-Office & Real Estate Systems
A twelve-standard guide for IT departments evaluating any AI tool that reads from or writes to lease administration, store development & construction, facilities, accounts payable or portfolio planning systems.
ViewArticle
AI Agents for Retail Store Development
A practical framework for permits, coordination, and governed automation at scale.
ViewPillar guide
The Complete Guide to Retail Store Development
Pillar guide from site selection through grand opening, benchmarks and automation strategies.
ViewCapability · Strategy & Expansion
Signage Optimization, Find the revenue hiding on your storefronts
Portfolio-wide signage audit with quoted municipal sign codes, storefront imagery, and ranked headroom. First audited results in 24 hours.
View
Retail GC Directory
A working catalog of general contractors focused on retail store development, coverage, retail specialization, self-reported clients, and each firm’s AI-adoption read.
Directory · Updated regularly
General contractors building retail
See where the GCs shaping retail store development stand today, including where each one is on AI adoption.
Browse the directory