Orbital targets plant operations

Applied Computing has raised a $20 million Series A for Orbital, its AI system for oil, gas, refining and petrochemical facilities. TechCrunch reported that the round was led by KBR, with Databricks Ventures participating.

The London-based company is trying to build a facility-level model for industrial operations rather than a general chatbot. Applied Computing describes Orbital as a physics-grounded system that connects to plant data sources, forecasts outcomes, detects anomalies and recommends operating set-points while respecting constraints such as mass balance, energy conservation and reaction kinetics.

That technical framing matters because energy facilities already collect large volumes of sensor, documentation and process data, but operators often have to analyze those inputs across separate tools. TechCrunch reported that Applied Computing says Orbital combines time-series modeling, physics-based modeling and a language model to predict plant state and simulate how changes in one area could affect the rest of a facility.

The startup also says KBR has integrated Orbital into its INSITE 3.0 digital platform for energy projects. TechCrunch reported that Applied Computing has reached double-digit millions in annual recurring revenue in under 18 months, though the company did not disclose a customer count.

The funding will support international expansion and hiring in research and engineering. Applied Computing has headquarters in London, an operational hub in Bengaluru and a new Houston office, putting it closer to North American energy customers.