National Grid invests $20m in three smart tech start-ups

Exodigo, Sensat and Visionary.ai’s technologies are expected to help in transforming the grid

National Grid Partners (NGP) has announced investments of $20 million (£17m) across three technology start-ups to transform the way utilities and other organisations manage vast physical infrastructure.

The corporate venture and innovation arm of National Grid is providing the funding for Exodigo, Sensat and Visionary.ai to help transform the grid through the use of their technologies.

Exodigo, which has operations in the US and Israel uses advanced sensors and AI to improve the quality and accuracy of underground maps crucial for design, construction and mineral discovery, with National Grid engaging the company to map the underground in two New York sites which revealed previously unidentified lines and helped avoid safety risks, costs and project delays.

UK-based Sensat automates how infrastructure is planned, built and managed by creating “digital twins” to enable faster and more effective decision-making.

National Grid has worked with Sensat on major infrastructure projects in the UK, where the startup’s visualisation software platform helped to “dramatically” streamline the planning process and reduced costs.

Visionary.ai, based in Israel, has developed a software image signal processor (ISP) that enables cameras to achieve next-generation image quality even in near-total darkness.

With the latest investments, NGP has backed a total of 40 startups dedicated to combating climate change across a range of applications, from cybersecurity to customer-focused solutions.

Lisa Lambert, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at National Grid and Founder and President of National Grid Partners said: “Utilities have long been known for size and reliability but need access to new solutions to better serve customers and the environment.

“NGP is challenging the status quo by investing in pioneering start-ups and sharing strategies across the Alliance to tackle industry challenges. By uniting breakthrough startup technology with the scale of utilities, we are able to digitise, decentralise and decarbonise the planet faster and more affordably.”

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