CloudNC raises $20 million for its manufacturing AI solution
British startup CloudNC has raised $20 million in a Series B extension to expand AI products that speed up CNC programming.
In manufacturing, AI is often most useful when it reduces specialists’ repetitive, time-consuming work rather than automating everything. UK-based CloudNC is pursuing that approach: it has built software that helps prepare machining strategies for CNC equipment and has now raised new capital to reach a wider market.
New funding and company growth
CloudNC announced a $20 million Series B extension. According to TechCrunch, this brings its total funding to $128 million. Nimble Ventures led the round; Calculus Venture Capital, Entrepreneur First and Lockheed Martin’s venture arm LM Capital were also listed among the investors.
Theo Saville and Chris Emery founded the company in 2015. CloudNC now has a team of 80. Its core objective is to improve specialists’ productivity by automating the initial planning and setup involved in complex CNC manufacturing.
How does CAM Assist work?
Before cutting a part in CNC manufacturing, a specialist must decide how to secure it, which tools to use, the machining direction and cutting speed. Traditional CAM software provides powerful tools, but programmers or machine specialists still make most strategic decisions manually.
CloudNC’s CAM Assist integrates with existing CAM systems such as Autodesk Fusion and Mastercam. It recommends suitable tools, machining directions, speeds and feeds, then prepares an initial version of the code required by the CNC machine. A human specialist reviews, edits and approves the final result.
Customers and the next product
According to the company, more than 1,000 machine shops worldwide use CAM Assist, with US customers accounting for 80% of the total. The new funding is intended to strengthen sales and go-to-market operations, support expansion in existing and new markets, and develop the product range.
CloudNC is also working on a solution called Quote Agent. It is designed to help manufacturers assess the estimated cost and risk of a new order more quickly, allowing machine shops to decide sooner whether to accept or reject it.
A signal for founders
CloudNC illustrates an important principle for vertical AI products: value comes from deep integration into a specific workflow. Its product works alongside existing professional software and leaves the final decision to the specialist.
For startups in Uzbekistan, this suggests looking for narrow but costly problems in industry, logistics, construction or agriculture. This is an editorial interpretation of CloudNC’s experience, however: customer needs and integration possibilities must be tested separately in each local market.
Source and editorial note
Primary source: TechCrunch — https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/08/cloudnc-raises-20m-to-automate-manufacturings-most-pressing-bottlenecks/
This test article was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for facts and style before publication. The cover image is illustrative.
Sources and image credits
This article was prepared by the Founders Cafe editorial team.
