The confluence of ageing infrastructure, ambitious energy transition goals, and the voracious energy appetite of AI and data centers presents a perfect storm of challenges for global business leaders. The key bottleneck? Access to energy, and, more specifically, the intelligent management and optimization of existing infrastructure. Enter Neara, an Australian-founded company pioneering a physics-enabled digital twin approach that's rapidly redefining how we understand, plan, and operate critical infrastructure networks. Their recent AUD 90 million Series D funding, led by TCV, underscores the growing recognition of their technology's transformative potential.

Neara's approach isn't simply about creating a visual representation of infrastructure. It's about building a geometrically accurate, 3D digital model of entire networks, applying detailed, asset-level, engineering-grade analysis across integrated datasets. This physics-based foundation differentiates Neara from traditional digital twins, which often rely on heuristics and statistical models. By grounding every simulation and analysis in real-world physics, Neara provides asset owners and operators with unparalleled insight into the true capacity, behavior, and risk profile of their infrastructure.

The implications are significant. Consider the explosion of AI compute and data centers. Projections indicate that global electricity consumption for these facilities will more than double by 2030. This surge in demand is straining existing power grids, necessitating faster, more efficient ways to connect new infrastructure and renewable generation sources. Neara's technology allows utilities to identify underutilized capacity within existing networks, accelerating these connections and ensuring grid resilience and reliability. They are empowering utilities to stretch existing infrastructure capabilities by delivering insights regarding true operational limits and potential capacity gains.

Neara's traction with major utilities worldwide speaks volumes about the efficacy of their solution. Their partnerships include Southern California Edison and CenterPoint Energy in the United States, ESB Networks in Ireland, Scottish Power in the UK, Hedno in Greece, and nearly 90% of all network utilities in Australia. These aren't just pilot programs; these are strategic deployments across vast and complex networks. This widespread adoption demonstrates the value utilities are deriving from Neara’s ability to unlock capacity, reduce risks, and streamline workflows.

The benefits extend beyond simply keeping the lights on. Neara's customers are realizing tangible improvements in several key areas:

  • Accelerated Infrastructure Deployment: Neara’s modeling capabilities have demonstrated the ability to bring new infrastructure online up to 85% faster, a crucial advantage in meeting rapidly growing energy demands. This speed is achieved by identifying optimal connection points, simulating potential impacts, and minimizing the need for costly and time-consuming physical testing.
  • Enhanced Risk Mitigation: By simulating various scenarios and identifying potential failure points, Neara's digital twins help utilities proactively mitigate risks associated with ageing infrastructure, extreme weather events, and increasing demand. This reduces the likelihood of costly outages and ensures a more resilient and reliable grid.
  • Significant Cost Savings: Consolidating multiple workflows, such as planning, design, and vegetation management, onto a single platform delivers substantial cost savings. Neara's customers have reported eight- and nine-figure cost savings by eliminating redundancies, optimizing resource allocation, and improving decision-making.
  • Improved Operational Efficiency: The detailed insights provided by Neara's digital twins enable utilities to optimize their operations, reduce downtime, and improve overall efficiency. This translates into lower operating costs, improved service reliability, and increased customer satisfaction.

The Series D funding will fuel Neara's continued growth and innovation. The company plans to expand its global talent pipeline of machine learning and AI engineers to further develop its technology and address the world's most critical infrastructure challenges. This investment signifies a clear understanding that conventional grid management processes are simply not sufficient to meet the demands of the modern world. Advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI, working in concert with the laws of physics, are essential to delivering infrastructure intelligence.

Neara's commitment to a physics-enabled approach is particularly noteworthy. In an increasingly complex world, relying solely on statistical models can be misleading. Physics-based models, on the other hand, provide a more accurate and reliable representation of reality, allowing for better informed decision-making. This is especially important when dealing with critical infrastructure, where even small errors can have significant consequences.

Neara is not just building a product; they are creating a new category of infrastructure intelligence. As infrastructure networks are pushed closer to their physical limits, understanding them requires a deeper level of insight. Neara provides that missing foundational layer, grounding every decision in real-world engineering reality. This physics-based substrate sets a new standard for how modern infrastructure is understood, planned, and operated, allowing business leaders to address the challenges of today and prepare for the demands of the future. For global business leaders navigating the complexities of energy transition and the AI boom, Neara’s approach offers a compelling path towards a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable infrastructure future. Their solutions provide a concrete approach to bridging the gap between current limitations and future needs.