UK Atomic Energy Authority spins out Singular Machines

The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has recently spun out Singular Machines, a UK engineering automation company. The company is commercializing artificial intelligence technologies originating from fusion engineering R&D scenarios and has secured strategic investment and new industry contracts.

According to information released by UKAEA on August 17, Singular Machines has completed a round of strategic investment. The round was led by the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund and Oxford Science Enterprises, with participation from global engineering firm Arup and Japan's Miraisozo Investments. Meanwhile, Singular Machines has also signed a new contract with Arup, which will use its coEngen platform.

Fusion energy R&D involves complex, highly reliable engineering design, placing demanding requirements on the coordination, traceability, and judgment capabilities of engineering processes. Singular Machines plans to extend the relevant engineering concepts and AI tools to industrial engineering automation beyond fusion energy.

The coEngen platform the company is developing is an intelligent AI platform designed to improve engineer productivity while maintaining the traceability, reliability, and professional judgment on which engineering practice depends, keeping engineering expertise at the core of decision-making.

In addition to participating in the strategic investment, Arup will also provide technical, commercial, and strategic support to Singular Machines and help shape and test its platform using real engineering workflows. The contracts and investment indicate that the company is transitioning from a public research institution spin-out project toward a commercialization path supported by venture capital and collaboration with industry partners.

UKAEA stated that this spin-out aligns with its 2026-2030 strategy, which aims to translate fusion research outcomes into commercial opportunities and drive long-term economic and industrial benefits for the UK from national R&D investment. The authority believes that spin-out companies help foster the development of skills, intellectual property, and innovative technologies, creating value across multiple sectors.

Adrian van Arkel, founder and CEO of Singular Machines, said that the support from UKAEA's innovation team helped the company launch its relevant projects. Fusion is the initial application starting point for the technology, but the problems coEngen addresses span the entire engineering field—project complexity is continuously rising, and manual coordination alone is approaching its limits.

Heather Lewtas, Interim Chief Development Officer at UKAEA, said that the authority's scientific and innovation capabilities are accelerating the formation of commercial opportunities, and UKAEA is pleased to support the spin-out of Singular Machines and drive the development of its industrial partnerships.