- Deep.Meta is a London-based AI startup setting out to help steelmakers reduce carbon emissions.
- Steel production is one of the most carbon-intensive industrial processes, accounting for a big percentage of global C02 emissions. Deep.Meta works by improving furnace efficiency to reduce energy waste.
- Its hero product Deep.Optimiser PhyX uses AI to improve furnace operations in real-time, leading to big energy savings.
Website: deepmeta.io
What is Deep Meta?
Founded in 2020 by Dr Osas Omoigiade, Deep.Meta is an AI startup that is setting out to make steelmaking more energy efficient. At the heart of the company is its AI, Deep.Optimiser Phyx, which uses machine learning to help steel plants cut down on waste, energy and C02 emissions.
The software works by creating a digital twin of the furnace through sensor data, this allows steelmakers to run simulations of changes they can make, in order for them to better understand how small tweaks in areas like temperature can improve efficiency. This approach not only improves energy saving capabilities, but can also help with wider efficiency in an industry that traditionally wasn’t very tech-savvy.
But one of the other main benefits is that the tech works with existing systems, showing plants how they can optimise what they already have without needing them to invest in new hardware – further lowering waste.
Want to be featured as TechRound’s Startup of the Week? Find out more about this weekly feature, and how to get involved, here.
What Makes Deep.Meta Unique?
Deep.Meta is making headlines for its use of AI for digital modelling of physical machines.
Unlike other AIs, Deep.Optimiser PhyX uses machine learning informed by physics to advise its users. The platform also uses data from a plant’s existing machines to make recommendations, meaning companies can use the hardware they have, rather than having to invest in entirely new systems. This not only helps them conserve more energy, but reduces material waste too.
Is There A Market For AI In The Steel Industry?
Definitely, and it’s only getting bigger. The steel industry is very important in the UK, but also accounts for a very high percentage of carbon emissions. Despite this, a lot of other industries rely on it. In 2024, the UK steel industry contributed £1.7 billion to the UK economy, creating products that were used across industries like construction, energy, transport and defence.
But one of the biggest problems this throws up is emissions. Steelmaking needs extreme heat and a huge percentage of the costs needed to run a steel plant are tied to energy usage. With energy prices still high, steelmakers need to keep being productive but also competitive in their pricing. They also need to work on decarbonisation.
This is where a company like Deep.Meta enter. It doesn’t ask these companies to make expensive upgrades, it just uses its AI to find ways to optimise energy usage and cut down on waste. In trials at Spartan UK, Deep.Meta’s system lowered emissions by nearly 10%, cut energy use by 24 kWh per tonne, and improved productivity by 20%. If scaled on a global level, it could help to remove up to 500 megatonnes of CO₂ every year, a huge figure for climate impact and profitability.
Where Can You Find Deep.Meta?
Find Deep.Meta on their website, to find out more about how AI is being used to supercharge the productivity and sustainability of the steel industry.
