Our Aging Infrastructure Is Failing” — BrightAI’s $15M Bet on AI to Prevent Disasters

BrightAI has emerged from stealth with a $15 million seed funding round led by Upfront Ventures, marking a pivotal moment in its journey to modernize the management of critical infrastructure. Founded in 2019 by Alex Hawkinson and a team of industry veterans, BrightAI focuses on using Internet of Things (IoT) technology and artificial intelligence to address long-standing inefficiencies in essential infrastructure systems.

This funding comes after years of quiet development and significant progress. BrightAI has already deployed over 250,000 sensors across 25,000 locations, serving seven major enterprise customers across six industries, including HVAC, power, and waste management. Despite remaining under the radar, the company has achieved an impressive $80 million in revenue without raising outside capital until now.

From Smart Homes to Critical Infrastructure

Alex Hawkinson is no stranger to leveraging technology to solve large-scale problems. Before founding BrightAI, he co-created SmartThings, a consumer IoT platform that powered over one billion smart home devices and was acquired by Samsung in 2014 for $200 million. Leaving SmartThings in 2018, Hawkinson sought to identify areas where connected devices could have the greatest societal impact.

The COVID-19 pandemic sharpened this focus. Reflecting on the disruption caused by the global crisis, Hawkinson said, “The downtime during the pandemic made you think about the essential services modern life depends on. It’s shocking how antiquated some of these systems are.”

This insight led BrightAI to concentrate on critical infrastructure—systems like water, energy, and transportation that underpin modern civilization. Unlike consumer-focused IoT solutions, BrightAI targets industrial and enterprise clients, offering a platform that combines IoT sensors with AI to predict and prevent failures in real time.

“There are enormous opportunities for sensing, predicting, and making better decisions,” Hawkinson said. “It impacts every aspect of a business—momentum with customers, momentum with employees, momentum with investors.”

A New Approach to Infrastructure Maintenance

BrightAI’s platform, described as “physical AI,” uses sensors to collect continuous data from physical assets, which is then processed by AI algorithms to identify patterns and potential risks. This allows organizations to shift from reactive to proactive maintenance, reducing costs and preventing system failures.

For example, pest control supplier Pelsis employs BrightAI’s sensors to monitor light traps installed in food and pharmaceutical facilities. If a new pest type is detected between routine inspections, BrightAI’s system sends an alert, enabling Pelsis to deploy targeted solutions immediately.

“It’s like leaving your inspector there 24/7, even when no humans are around,” Hawkinson explained. “We’re collecting data humans never did before and using AI to uncover patterns that weren’t visible in the past.”

The company’s flagship product, the Stateful OS platform, builds on this concept. Deployed across more sites than Starbucks locations in the U.S., it provides real-time monitoring, diagnostics, and predictive insights. The platform enables organizations to address potential issues before they escalate, improving efficiency and reducing downtime.

Leadership with Proven Expertise

BrightAI’s leadership team is composed of experienced professionals from leading tech and industrial firms. Hawkinson brought his expertise from SmartThings, while Chief Technology Officer Kiran Bharwani previously developed Rivian’s autonomous driving platform and led Amazon’s $1 billion EV delivery initiative. The team also includes veterans from Meta, Microsoft, and Frontdoor, all of whom contribute to BrightAI’s focus on scaling its solutions across diverse industries.

“Our aging infrastructure is failing,” Hawkinson said. “With Stateful OS, we’re not just solving for efficiency—we’re enabling a shift to sustainable, data-driven infrastructure management.”

Meeting Industry Needs Through Funding

The $15 million seed funding will allow BrightAI to expand its technical capabilities and scale its operations. The company plans to enhance the Stateful OS platform with features that enable field workers to make more informed decisions and integrate autonomous robotics for complex inspections.

Azuria Water Solutions, an early adopter of BrightAI’s technology, offers a glimpse of the platform’s potential. The company uses BrightAI’s sensors and robotics to automate pipeline inspections, replacing subjective, manual assessments with precise, real-time data collection.

“Technology helps yield better results and makes work more enjoyable,” said Azuria CEO Rob Tullman. “We’re not shrinking as a result of this; we’re growing. BrightAI’s solutions allow us to operate smarter, faster, and more efficiently.”

A Broad Vision for Impact

While many startups in the IoT space focus narrowly on specific industries, BrightAI aims to address a wide range of challenges across multiple verticals. This approach reflects Hawkinson’s vision of creating a “physical graph” to digitize the physical world.

Hawkinson acknowledged that focusing on a single industry could lead to faster initial growth but emphasized the broader potential of a multi-vertical approach. “By limiting ourselves to one vertical, we’d leave so much untapped potential,” he said. “It’s about building a great business that can maximize its impact on the world.”

BrightAI’s platform is designed to help industries not only improve operational efficiency but also reduce waste and environmental impact. For instance, pest control companies can use the data to target specific areas rather than applying solutions broadly, while water utilities can minimize unnecessary truck rolls by pinpointing problem locations.

One of the challenges BrightAI addresses is the steep technological barriers for traditional industries. As Hawkinson noted, “For traditional businesses, it’s enormously difficult to just hire a mobile developer, let alone an AI developer.” BrightAI offers these industries a turnkey solution, bundling advanced technology layers into an accessible platform.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” Hawkinson said. “Unlocking productivity and capital efficiency makes these services better and wastes a lot less.”

BrightAI’s emergence from stealth signals the beginning of a new phase for the company. With a robust platform, an experienced leadership team, and strong early traction, the company is well-positioned to address the growing demand for smarter infrastructure management. BrightAI’s recent funding will fuel enhancements to the Stateful OS platform, including AI-powered guidance for field workers and autonomous robotics for high-risk inspections. Early adopters like Azuria Water Solutions have already reaped the benefits of BrightAI’s technology, using sensors and robots to automate pipeline inspections.

The $15 million seed funding will enable BrightAI to expand its reach, refine its technology, and serve more customers across industries. As it scales, BrightAI aims to reshape how infrastructure is managed, creating systems that are not only more efficient but also more sustainable.