Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Tech Beat
Sep 9, 2026, 4:01 AMManufacturing AI and Startups

CloudNC Raises $20M to Scale AI CNC Automation and Launch Quote Agent

CloudNC raises $20 million to expand AI powered CAM Assist beyond 1,000 machine shops and launch Quote Agent for faster manufacturing bids in October.

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Summary

UK based CloudNC announced a $20 million Series B extension on September 9, 2026, lifting lifetime funding to $128 million four years after its last major raise. CEO Theo Saville founded the company in 2015 with chief science officer Chris Emery. Its CAM Assist software plugs into Autodesk Fusion and Mastercam, selecting tools, approach directions, cutting feeds and speeds, then drafting CNC code for precisely machined automotive, defense and consumer hardware parts. Machinists and computer aided manufacturing programmers review, edit and approve the output, preserving expert judgment while automating repetitive setup and initial strategy.

More than 1,000 machine shops worldwide use CAM Assist, 80 percent of CloudNC customers are in the US, and the company employs 80 people. Nimble Ventures led the round, joined by Calculus Venture Capital, Entrepreneur First and LM Capital, Lockheed Martin's venture arm. CloudNC will fund wider adoption, stronger go to market operations, expansion across existing and new markets, and products including Quote Agent. Scheduled for October 2026, Quote Agent will estimate project costs and risks so manufacturers can accept or reject work faster. CloudNC is targeting US reshoring and a skilled worker shortage that require shops to quote, program and produce more with existing staff and machinery.

Positives

  • $20 million in new funding raises CloudNC's lifetime capital to $128 million.
  • More than 1,000 machine shops worldwide already use CAM Assist.
  • 80 percent of CloudNC's customers are in the US, positioning it for reshoring demand.
  • CAM Assist automates tool selection, machining directions, feeds, speeds and initial CNC code while retaining human approval.
  • Quote Agent will launch in October 2026 to accelerate project cost and risk assessments.

Risks & concerns

  • A shortage of skilled manufacturing workers is intensifying pressure on machine shops to increase output with existing resources.
  • CAM Assist still requires machinists or programmers to review, edit and approve its proposed machining strategy.
  • Scaling adoption remains CloudNC's biggest objective despite more than 1,000 shops already using the software.
  • CNC planning remains exceptionally complex because each typical part can have an immense number of possible machining strategies.
Primary sourceTechCrunchhttps://techcrunch.com/2026/09/08/cloudnc-raises-20m-to-automate-manufacturings-most-pressing-bottlenecks/
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