Applied Computing Raises USD 20 Million, Expands into US to Accelerate AI Solutions for Energy Sector

Applied Computing, the British AI company building foundation AI for energy operators, announces a USD 20 million funding round led by KBR. Databricks Ventures also joined the round as a new investor in Applied Computing. 

The company has also announced its expansion into the United States, with the opening of a new office in Houston, Texas, as it deepens its presence across the world’s most important energy markets. 

Headquartered in London and with offices in Bengaluru, India and Houston, USA, Applied Computing is emerging as the market leading foundation model for energy operations.

Applied Computing builds foundation AI for energy operators. Its flagship platform, Orbital, is the first foundation model built specifically for energy operations, combining physics-grounded intelligence with models across chemical engineering, time-series forecasting and language.

Orbital is designed to help operators improve efficiency, reduce emissions, strengthen reliability and make better decisions across some of the most complex industrial systems. Unlike general-purpose AI tools, it’s purpose-built for real operating environments across upstream, downstream and petrochemical systems.

The company’s momentum has accelerated sharply over the past year, driven by major commercial partnerships, a growing presence in India, and the addition of senior talent from across the energy and AI sectors. Recent milestones include partnerships with Databricks, Wipro and an initial ammonia production tie-up with KBR, as well as the appointment of former Shell AI leader Dan Jeavons as President.  

The new funding will support Applied Computing’s continued international expansion, accelerate commercial deployment with global energy operators and deepen investment in its AI research organisation led by Co-Founder and Chief AI Officer Dr Sam Tukra.

Additionally, KBR and Applied Computing have entered into a multi-year agreement to deliver exclusive AI products for the energy sector.  Over the next few weeks, Applied Computing will announce its first partnership with a European oil major. 

The opening of the Houston office marks the company’s formal entry into the US market and will support deeper engagement with customers and partners across North America. This global footprint reflects the scale of Applied Computing’s ambition: to build foundation AI for the world’s most important industrial systems, and to do so in close partnership with the operators, engineers and technology leaders shaping the future of energy.

Applied Computing has assembled one of the most ambitious teams in the category, combining frontier AI research with deep industry experience. The company’s research efforts are led by Dr Sam Tukra, whose work sits at the forefront of physics-informed AI for industrial systems. Around him, Applied Computing is building a world-class AI research team spanning foundation models, energy systems, machine learning and engineering optimisation.

Alongside this technical leadership, the company has also brought in senior operators with experience at the highest levels of the global energy industry, including former Shell executive Dan Jeavons, previously VP of AI at the energy multinational. 

Callum Adamson, CEO and Co-Founder of Applied Computing, said, “It’s our mission to provide operators with a foundation model that unlocks advantage at scale while delivering pathways to production that are safer, more efficient and far less carbon intensive. KBR is a natural partner for that mission. Their decades of data, industry domain knowledge and global reach mean we can now accelerate deployment of Orbital across the sector.” 

“We’re very excited about what this technology could unlock across the full lifecycle for multiple industries, and we’re thrilled to make this investment in Applied Computing to spur future technologies,” adds KBR Chief Digital and Development Officer Greg Conlon. “This investment strengthens KBR’s position at the forefront of applied AI and enables us to scale innovations across our full range of licensed technologies, with the potential to create a new paradigm for OpEx analytics and NextGen CapEx delivery. Together, we’re redefining how AI powers the critical systems that drive global economic growth.

Julien Debard, Director of Energy and Utilities at Databricks, said, "Working with Applied Computing on foundational AI for our energy customers has given us a first-hand view of what Orbital can do. We’ve seen the calibre of the technology and the strength of the team behind it, and how quickly operators can now move from experimentation to real operational value on the platform. That conviction is why we’re proud to now join Applied Computing’s funding round as an investor and deepen our partnership as they scale.”

This funding round builds directly on the commercial relationship already established between the two companies. In March 2026, KBR launched INSITE 3.0, its digital delivery platform powered by Applied Computing's Orbital foundation model, marking the first product to integrate Orbital with KBR's process technology expertise. 

The company plans to use the new capital to expand internationally, grow its research and engineering teams, and deepen deployments with major customers. The funding round will be announced on-site at Applied Computing’s annual demo day on 15th July, at the Energy Institute.