Applied Computing wants to give oil and gas operators an AI model for the entire plant
Applied Computing has secured $20 million in Series A funding to expand its AI platform for the energy sector. The London-based startup, founded in 2023, is targeting the complex data challenges faced by oil, gas, and petrochemical facilities. These plants often collect massive amounts of sensor data, yet operators utilize less than 8% of this information when making critical decisions. The fragmentation of sensor readings, engineering documentation, and physical chemistry creates a significant bottleneck for energy companies.
The startup’s solution, an AI foundation model named Orbital, differentiates itself by integrating time series data, physics-based modeling, and language processing. This allows the system to predict the state of a facility and simulate how specific operational changes affect the plant as a whole. According to CEO Callum Adamson, Orbital can reduce investigation times from weeks to seconds by flagging anomalies and modeling fixes in real time. This speed is designed to lower energy consumption and maintain consistent output across industrial sites.
The company has already gained traction among major industry players, reporting double-digit millions in annual recurring revenue in less than 18 months. KBR led the recent funding round and has integrated the technology into its own digital platform for energy projects. Other partners include Wipro and several undisclosed publicly listed energy firms. Despite competition from established industrial software providers, Applied Computing maintains that its competitive advantage lies in its specialized AI research team.
With the new capital, Applied Computing plans to accelerate international expansion. The firm has opened a new office in Houston to better serve North American clients and is currently eyeing growth in the Middle East. The funding will also support further hiring for research and engineering roles to advance the capabilities of the Orbital model.