Neara, valued at $1.1B, buys grid software firm Zepben
What's the deal? Neara, an Australian critical infrastructure digital twin modelling business, has acquired fellow Australian startup ZepbenDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → for an undisclosed sum. The deal brings electrical network modelling into Neara's platform, which until now has focused on physical and engineering-grade analysis of utility assets.
What's the endgame? The acquisition lets Neara offer energy grid constraint forecasting, planned outage management, automated electrical and physical design checks, and network model management. The aim is to combine physical, electrical, and risk modelling into a single digital twin.
Why now? Neara said the deal answers "growing demand for combined physical and electrical capabilities as data aggregation and connection remain major bottlenecks for utilities globally," particularly amid the rollout of more data centres.
Neara was last valued at $1.1 billion in February, following a Series D raise. It already serves global customers, including in California and Ireland.
What they said: "Acquiring Zepben will enable physical, electrical and risk modelling to come together holistically, addressing a critical US market gap," Neara chief strategy officer Karamvir Singh said.
Zepben chief executive officer Adam White said the fit was natural. "Our technology tackles many of the challenges Neara's customers already face," he said. "Together, we're bringing electrical and physical modelling into one digital twin grounded in physics."
The signal: As data centre demand strains power grids, utilities need tools that model both the physical and electrical sides of their networks. Neara is betting that owning both capabilities will set it apart in the US market it is targeting.
Read more: capitalbrief.com
Image credit: Western Area Power Admin
