Gigaton raises $26M to replace industrial control software with self-learning AI in cement, steel, and glass

Energy-intensive industries are caught between two converging pressures. On the one hand, energy costs have risen sharply and fuel sources have become more diverse, making plant operations significantly more complex to manage. On the other hand, the industrial control software that most plants run was designed decades ago for simpler conditions. Operators compensate manually, which introduces variability that drives fuel waste and emissions.

Gigaton, a London-based AI company originally founded in 2020 as Carbon Re - a joint spinout from UCL and the University of Cambridge - has developed a self-learning control platform that operates beneath existing process tools. Where conventional optimisation software adds a recommendation layer on top of a plant's existing stack, Gigaton replaces the control infrastructure itself. The platform uses simulation and predictive models to assess operational decisions before execution and then autonomously adjusts parameters, including fuel mix, kiln speed and oxygen levels. The platform continuously retrains on live production data as plant conditions change and provides operators with full visibility into the reasoning behind each action the system takes.

In June 2026, Gigaton closed a $26 million Series A funding round led by Plural, with participation from 2150, Semapa Next, and existing investors including Planet A Ventures, Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, the UCL Technology Fund (managed by AlbionVC in partnership with UCL Business), and the Clean Growth Fund. This brings the company's total funding to over $35 million. Capital will support continued platform development and broader deployment as the company expands from cement into steel, glass, and chemicals.

Sources: Gigaton | UKTN

Founders: Josh Vernon, Buffy Price, Dr Daniel Summerbell, Dr Aidan O'Sullivan, Sherif Elsayed-Ali