Applied Computing, a London-based startup that is building a basic AI model for the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, has raised a $20 million Series A led by engineering giant KBR, with participation from Databricks Ventures.

Founded in 2023, the startup targets oil, gas, refining and petrochemical systems, where a single facility can have thousands of sensors measuring everything from temperature and pressure to velocity and viscosity. While there is a huge market to help energy companies solve the data tracking problem, the fragmentation it presents represents a significant obstacle.

As a result, facilities make operational decisions using less than 8% of the data available, says Applied Computing co-founder and CEO Callum Adamson (pictured above, right). Operators already collect much of this information, he said, but they struggle to combine sensor readings, engineering documentation, physics and chemistry quickly enough to analyze and make predictions.

“It’s about getting those three data sources to talk to each other in real time. That’s the real key,” he told TechCrunch.

Unlike big language models, which predict the next word, Applied Computing says its fundamental model, Orbital, combines a time series model, a physics-based model, and a language model to predict the state of a facility. To do this, it analyzes sensor readings, takes into account physics and chemistry, and recognizes the limitations of the equipment and the activity of a facility operator. It also allows technicians to run simulations of how a change in one part of a facility could affect the rest of its operations.

Essentially, Applied Computing is a speed-to-release: It claims Orbital can detect anomalies, investigate what caused them, and model whether a proposed solution could create problems elsewhere in the facility, all in a matter of minutes. Adamson says the product can compress research that previously took days or weeks into seconds, helping operators reduce energy use and maintain production.

That promise of speed seems to have found believers. The startup says it has gone from stealth to double-digit millions in annual recurring revenue in less than 18 months. Adamson said Orbital is used by some “large, publicly traded” oil and gas, refinery and petrochemical companies, although he declined to say how many customers it has.

Its partners include Indian energy company Wipro and KBR, which has integrated Orbital into its INSITE 3.0 digital platform for energy projects and is using the product for ammonia production. Adamson said the startup is also working with a “major US upstream operator.” and plans to announce a partnership with a major European oil major in the coming weeks.

Still, Applied Computing is entering a market that has entrenched industrial software providers as well as more AI-focused startups. AspenTech sells AI-based modeling and simulation software for chemical, refining and upstream operations, while AVEVA offers process simulation, optimization and physics-based what-if modeling for industrial plants. Cognite and Seeq focus on the data layer, helping facilities analyze industrial data and apply AI to design workflows.

Adamson maintains that the company’s goal is not access to industrial data or process knowledge, but rather bringing together AI researchers to build a model that can compete with Orbital.

“It’s an AI problem. It’s not a data or energy problem,” he said. “If you’re a top AI researcher, where are you going to work?… I don’t think Shell is on that list.”

Adamson also pointed to the data Orbital receives through its deployments. Operational data from refineries and other energy facilities is generally not publicly available, he said, while simulated data cannot fully reproduce what happens inside an operating plant.

Partnering with KBR can also help the company. Adamson said the partnership gives Applied Computing access to operational data, industry expertise and also introductions to more potential clients.

Applied Computing plans to use the $20 million to expand internationally, hire for research and engineering roles, and explore implementations with energy customers.

The company said on Thursday that it has also opened an office in Houston, adding to its headquarters in London and operational center in Bengaluru. Adamson said the US base brings the startup closer to two existing clients in North America, and an expansion to the Middle East is also in the works.