Applied Computing, a London-based startup developing a foundation AI model for the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, has raised a $20 million Series A led by engineering giant KBR, with Databricks Ventures participating.

Founded in 2023, the startup focuses on oil, gas, refining and petrochemical systems, where a single facility can feature thousands of sensors tracking temperature, pressure, velocity and viscosity. While a large market exists to help energy companies address data tracking issues, fragmentation poses a major challenge.

Facilities end up making operating decisions with less than 8% of available data, according to co-founder and CEO Callum Adamson. Operators already gather much of this information but face difficulties integrating sensor readings, engineering documentation, and physics and chemistry principles fast enough for analysis and predictions.

"It is getting those three data sources to talk to each other in real time. That is the real key," he said.

Unlike large language models that predict the next word, the startup says its foundation model, Orbital, merges a time series model, a physics-based model and a language model to forecast a facility's state. It achieves this by examining sensor readings while accounting for physics and chemistry, along with equipment constraints and operator activity. The system also enables technicians to simulate how a change in one section could impact overall operations.

Essentially, Applied Computing emphasizes speed. It claims Orbital can identify anomalies, investigate their causes and model whether a proposed fix might create issues elsewhere, all within minutes. Adamson notes the product compresses investigations that once took days or weeks into seconds, aiding operators in cutting energy use while sustaining output.

That promise of speed has attracted interest. The startup reports moving from stealth to double-digit millions in annual recurring revenue in under 18 months. Orbital is deployed at some large, publicly listed upstream oil and gas, downstream refining and petrochemicals companies, though exact customer numbers were not disclosed.

Partners include Indian energy company Wipro and KBR, which has integrated Orbital into its INSITE 3.0 digital platform for energy projects and uses the product for ammonia production. The startup is also collaborating with a major U.S. upstream operator and plans to announce a partnership with a European oil major soon.

Applied Computing enters a market with established industrial software suppliers and specialized AI startups. AspenTech provides simulation and AI-powered modeling software for upstream, refining and chemical operations, while AVEVA offers physics-based process simulation, optimization and what-if modeling for industrial plants. Cognite and Seeq focus on the data layer, assisting facilities with industrial data analysis and AI-driven workflows.

Adamson contends the company's advantage lies not in access to industrial data or process knowledge but in assembling AI researchers to build a competitive model.

"It is an AI problem. It is not a data problem, and it is not an energy problem," he said. "If you are a tier-one AI researcher, where are you going to work? I do not think Shell is on that list."

Adamson also highlighted the data Orbital gathers through deployments. Operational data from refineries and other energy facilities is typically not publicly available, and simulated data cannot fully replicate conditions inside an active plant.

The KBR partnership may provide further support by granting access to operational data, industry expertise and introductions to additional potential customers.

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

The company also announced it has opened an office in Houston, complementing its London headquarters and operational hub in Bengaluru. The U.S. location positions the startup nearer to two existing North American customers, with expansion into the Middle East under consideration.