Applied Computing, a London-based startup, announced in July 2026 that it has raised a $20 million Series A to expand its foundation AI model for the oil, gas, and petrochemical industry. The round was led by engineering firm KBR, with Databricks Ventures also participating.
Founded in 2023, Applied Computing builds a model called Orbital that combines a time series model, a physics-based model, and a language model to predict the state of an industrial facility. The system analyzes sensor readings alongside engineering documentation and applies physics and chemistry constraints to flag anomalies, identify their causes, and simulate whether a proposed fix might create problems elsewhere — all within minutes, according to the company.
Co-founder and CEO Callum Adamson said the core problem is that facilities currently make operating decisions using less than 8% of the data available to them. “It’s getting those three data sources to talk to each other in real time. That’s the real key,” he told TechCrunch.
The startup says it has reached double-digit millions in annual recurring revenue in under 18 months. Orbital is deployed at large upstream oil and gas, downstream refining, and petrochemicals companies, though Adamson declined to specify how many customers. Partners include Indian energy company Wipro and KBR, which has integrated Orbital into its INSITE 3.0 digital platform and is using it for ammonia production. Applied Computing is also working with a major U.S. upstream operator and plans to announce a European oil major partnership in the coming weeks.
The company competes in a market that includes established players such as AspenTech, AVEVA, Cognite, and Seeq. Adamson argues the company’s advantage lies in its AI research talent rather than data access or energy sector knowledge. “It’s an AI problem. It’s not a data problem, and it’s not an energy problem,” he said.
Applied Computing plans to use the funding to hire for research and engineering roles, expand internationally, and pursue new energy client deployments. The company opened a Houston office in conjunction with the announcement, adding to its London headquarters and Bengaluru hub. An expansion into the Middle East is also in progress.
Source: TechCrunch