• Continuum Industries’ first-of-its-kind AI-powered platform, Optioneer, helps infrastructure developers complete work that used to take 12 months in as little as eight weeks – from identifying the best routing options from millions of alternatives, to facilitating real-time iteration of designs as new data arises, recording key decisions, and mitigating against unforeseen delays – while minimising impact on the environment and communities.

• Continuum industries is already working with significant customers across Europe and the US, including National Grid, SSEN Transmission, National Gas Transmission, Fred. Olsen Seawind, and Iberdola Group.

• This latest raise – which also included existing investors Credo, Playfair, Techstart Ventures, and angels including executives from UiPath, Skyscanner, and SSE – will support Continuum Industries’ continued growth as it aims to double headcount and expand into new territories over the next 12 months.

Singular leads round into AI company cutting project planning processes from 12 months to 8 weeks to accelerate global energy transition

Edinburgh, 25 September 2023: Continuum Industries – an AI company accelerating the global energy transition by helping infrastructure developers complete work that used to take 12 months in as little as eight weeks while minimising impact on the environment and communities – has raised $10 million in new funding in a Series A round led by Singular. Previous investors Credo, Playfair, Techstart Ventures, and angels including executives from UiPath, Skyscanner, and SSE also participated in the round. This latest raise will support Continuum Industries’ continued growth as it aims to double headcount and expand into new territories over the next 12 months, and brings the company’s total funding to date to $15.5 million.

Demand for energy and utility infrastructure is growing all the time – electricity grids alone are projected to double in size by 2050 to connect critical renewable energy sources – but the planning process is complex and the current pace of development is too slow to meet net zero targets. Companies must balance a multitude of technical and regulatory considerations, design and planning rules, project-specific environmental, social, technical, and financial considerations, and the competing perspectives and priorities of different stakeholders. The challenge is compounded by a reliance on decades-old technology that is not fit for purpose today.

Authorities on both sides of the Atlantic have recently intervened to encourage the simplification and acceleration of infrastructure development, with the recent UK Electricity Networks Commissioner’s report advocating for automated planning processes and the Biden administration making $300 million in grants available to speed up electricity transmission siting and permitting. 

Action is urgently needed, explains Grzegorz Marecki, co-founder and CEO of Continuum Industries: 

“If we are going to deliver the energy transition required in time to meet global climate goals, we need to completely rethink worldwide energy infrastructure – transforming what we have, but also building considerably more, and doing so at an unprecedented pace. The best way to do that is to work smarter, not harder – as highlighted by the UK Electricity Networks Commissioner, automated infrastructure planning processes, such as those that we provide, have a big part to play. But the impact of technology needn’t be limited to the planning stage – we’re excited to bring its transformative power to developers throughout the development process as we continue to grow with this new funding.”

Continuum Industries’ first-of-its-kind AI-powered network and linear infrastructure development platform, Optioneer, enables power, utility, and renewables companies to visualise, analyse, and comprehensively assess routing options for power lines, onshore and offshore cables, and pipelines for hydrogen, water, and CO₂. Founded in 2018, Continuum Industries is supporting customers in the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and the USA – including National Grid, SSEN Transmission, National Gas Transmission, Fred. Olsen Seawind, and Iberdola Group – with the assessment of thousands of kilometres of assets across large-scale projects. 

Optioneer provides a common environment for engineers and environmental specialists to collaborate using AI to condense processes that previously took 12 months to be condensed into just eight weeks. The combination of vast computing power, geospatial data, and human intuition unlocks unique insights throughout projects, from conception to completion. This includes generating a shortlist of viable routing options from millions of alternatives in just a matter of hours, real-time iteration of designs as new data arises, recording key decisions, and mitigating against unforeseen delays at later stages.

The funding will enable Continuum Industries’ growth in Europe and the US, with the team set to double in size over the next year to support customers in rolling out the software across rapidly-growing portfolios of projects. Growing the engineering and product teams will also facilitate the creation of new cutting-edge functionalityto support developers across more project stages. 

Marecki said: 

“We have an exciting and important opportunity to accelerate the march of the infrastructure industry into the digital age and make a lasting impact for people and planet. Having set out to raise a round in challenging economic conditions, we’re pleased to have found new investors in the shape of Singular – alongside our previous backers – who didn’t just see the potential of our technology, but the urgent need to diverge from traditional approaches to transform the sector, and showed a real hunger to support that change.”

Henri Tilloy, Partner at Singular, said: 

“Infrastructure is a vital, but under-discussed, aspect of the energy transition. Without robust, future-fit infrastructure to transport the growing amount of energy and utilities we need – especially as renewables come online in larger and larger volumes – all the innovation that goes into new generation and storage solutions will be wasted. Grzegorz and the team at Continuum have built impressive technology and are already working with some significant names to enable infrastructure to be delivered at a pace that matches the urgency of the situation. We’re pleased to be supporting them, and look forward to seeing the company grow from strength to strength as it looks beyond the planning stage to become the definitive platform for the infrastructure industry.”

-ENDS-

About Continuum Industries

Continuum Industries is a software company that aims to accelerate the world’s transition to renewable energy by enabling faster, lower-risk and more sustainable energy infrastructure planning. We believe that without a step change, the sector will not be able to meet the demand for the critical infrastructure necessary for our society to grow and evolve. We are the provider of an AI-powered platform – Optioneer – that enables power, utility and renewables companies to instantly visualise, analyse and comprehensively assess routing options for power lines, cables and pipelines.

About Singular

Singular is a European VC firm partnering with remarkable founders building transformative companies. Working with an international network of partners and investors, Singular supports entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey, with an initial investment focus on Series A and B rounds.