London-based Gigaton raises $26 million in Series A funding to expand its AI-driven control systems, promising significant operational savings and emissions reductions in sectors like cement, steel, and chemicals.
Gigaton has raised $26 million in Series A funding to push its artificial intelligence software deeper into heavy industry, where it says autonomous control can cut both operating costs and emissions in some of the most difficult-to-run plants in the world.
The round was led by Plural, with backing from 2150 and Semapa Next, alongside existing investors including Planet A Ventures, Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, the UCL Technology Fund, which is managed by AlbionVC with UCL Business, and the Clean Growth Fund. The company said the new capital takes total funding to more than $35 million.
Formerly known as Carbon Re, the London-based business changed its name in late May as it broadened its ambitions beyond carbon reduction software. Founded in 2020 as a spin-out linked to University College London and the University of Cambridge, Gigaton is positioning itself not as an advisory layer for plant operators, but as a system that can take over part of the control function itself.
That is a significant claim in sectors such as cement, where kiln operations are unforgiving, energy-intensive and often still dependent on legacy software and manual decision-making. Gigaton says its platform models process behaviour, anticipates the impact of each adjustment before it is made, and then changes settings such as fuel mix, kiln speed and oxygen levels automatically, continuously learning from live plant data.
The company is targeting industries where even small gains in efficiency can be material. It plans to use the funding to increase headcount fivefold and expand into steel, glass and chemicals, sectors that face similar pressure to decarbonise without sacrificing output or reliability.
Gigaton says deployments with Mannok, Adani Cement, Heidelberg Materials and Holcim have delivered annual savings of between $1 million and $3 million per plant, alongside roughly 30,000 tonnes of avoided carbon dioxide. Those figures are company estimates rather than independently audited results, but they underline the scale of the opportunity the startup is chasing.
The operational logic is clear. As manufacturers shift to alternative fuels and contend with more volatile energy markets, the process of running plants can become more complex rather than less. Mannok’s operations director, Kevin Lunney, has said the move from coal to solid recovered fuel makes operations “genuinely harder to operate with”, because the material varies in calorific value and moisture content.
For Gigaton, that complexity is part of the business case. The company argues that the biggest gains in industrial decarbonisation will not come from dashboards or recommendations alone, but from software trusted to act directly in the control room. Whether operators are prepared to hand over that level of authority will now become the real test as the company moves from a handful of plants to a much broader industrial footprint.
- https://thenextweb.com/news/gigaton-26m-series-a-autonomous-plants – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/03062026/gigaton-raises-26m-to-build-fully-autonomous-plants-in-energy-intensive-industries/ – Gigaton, formerly known as Carbon Re, has secured $26 million in Series A funding led by Plural, with participation from 2150, Semapa Next, and existing investors. This brings the company’s total funding to over $35 million. The funds will support a fivefold increase in team size and expansion into steel, glass, and chemicals sectors. Gigaton’s AI technology autonomously adjusts parameters like fuel mix, kiln speed, and oxygen levels, leading to significant operational savings and reduced CO2 emissions for clients such as Mannok Holdings, Adani Cement, Heidelberg Materials, and Holcim.
- https://climatesolutions.news/business/ai-takes-the-controls-gigaton-raises-26m-to-optimise-heavy-manufacturing – Gigaton, a London-based AI company spun out of the University of Cambridge and UCL, has raised $26 million in Series A funding led by Plural, with participation from 2150, Semapa Next, and existing investors. The company plans to use the capital to increase its team fivefold and expand into the steel, glass, and chemicals sectors. Gigaton’s platform replaces existing control systems in heavy industry, autonomously adjusting parameters such as fuel mix, kiln speed, and oxygen levels, leading to significant operational savings and reduced CO2 emissions for clients like Adani Cement, Heidelberg Materials, and Holcim.
- https://www.indexbox.io/blog/gigaton-secures-26m-series-a-to-scale-ai-for-heavy-industry-decarbonization/ – Gigaton, a company developing AI software for energy-intensive industries, has secured $26 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Plural, with participation from 2150, Semapa Next, and existing investors Planet A Ventures, Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, the UCL Technology Fund managed by AlbionVC with UCL Business, and Clean Growth Fund. This brings Gigaton’s total funding to more than $35 million. The company plans to use the capital to increase its team fivefold and expand into the steel, glass, and chemicals sectors. Gigaton aims to strengthen industrial control and reduce emissions on a gigaton scale.
- https://sifted.eu/articles/plural-26m-gigaton-physical-ai – Gigaton, a London-based startup using AI to reduce costs and energy consumption in manufacturing, has raised a $26 million Series A round led by Plural. The company plans to use the funds to scale its team and expand into the steel, glass, and chemicals sectors. Gigaton’s AI platform autonomously adjusts parameters such as fuel mix, kiln speed, and oxygen levels, leading to significant operational savings and reduced CO2 emissions for clients like Adani Cement, Heidelberg Materials, and Holcim. The company was founded in 2020 as Carbon Re and rebranded in late May.
- https://gigaton.co/materials – Gigaton is an AI company focused on decarbonising energy-intensive industries such as cement, steel, glass, and chemicals. Their AI-powered solutions aim to reduce fuel consumption, lower CO2 emissions, and improve plant stability and product quality. Gigaton’s technology autonomously adjusts parameters like fuel mix, kiln speed, and oxygen levels, leading to significant operational savings and reduced CO2 emissions for clients. The company is working with plants across the globe to accelerate the decarbonisation of foundational materials.
- https://gigaton.co/cement-decarbonization – Gigaton enables cement decarbonisation by combining AI and industry expertise to unlock value and reduce carbon emissions. The company’s AI-powered solution aims to decarbonise the cement industry, which produces a significant portion of global emissions. Gigaton’s technology autonomously adjusts parameters like fuel mix, kiln speed, and oxygen levels, leading to significant operational savings and reduced CO2 emissions for clients. The company is working with plants across the globe to accelerate the decarbonisation of foundational materials.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The article was published on June 3, 2026, and no earlier versions of this specific content were found. The information appears to be original and up-to-date.
Quotes check
Score:
8
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes from Kevin Lunney, Operations Director at Mannok Holdings DAC, and Carina Namih, Partner at Plural. These quotes are consistent with other reputable sources, such as World Cement ([worldcement.com](https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/03062026/gigaton-raises-26m-to-build-fully-autonomous-plants-in-energy-intensive-industries/?utm_source=openai)) and Climate Solutions News ([climatesolutions.news](https://climatesolutions.news/business/ai-takes-the-controls-gigaton-raises-26m-to-optimise-heavy-manufacturing?utm_source=openai)). However, the exact earliest usage of these quotes cannot be determined, so some uncertainty remains.
Source reliability
Score:
7
Notes:
The Next Web is a well-known technology news outlet. However, it is not as established as major news organisations like the BBC or Reuters. The article cites reputable sources, including World Cement and Climate Solutions News, which adds credibility. Nonetheless, the reliance on a single source for the main narrative slightly reduces the overall reliability.
Plausibility check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims about Gigaton’s AI technology and its deployments with companies like Mannok, Adani Cement, Heidelberg Materials, and Holcim are plausible and align with industry trends towards automation and emissions reduction. The reported savings of $1M to $3M per plant annually and 30,000 tonnes of avoided CO₂ are significant but not implausible. However, these figures are company estimates and lack independent verification, which introduces some uncertainty.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article provides original and up-to-date information about Gigaton’s $26 million Series A funding and its AI technology for heavy industry. While the quotes are consistent with other reputable sources, the exact earliest usage cannot be determined, and the reliance on a single source for the main narrative introduces some uncertainty. The claims are plausible and align with industry trends, but the reported figures lack independent verification. Overall, the content meets our verification standards, but some concerns remain regarding source independence and verification.
