German multinational technology firm Siemens has announced the acquisition of BuntPlanet, a Spanish software technology company, to support the adoption of smart solutions for water monitoring with artificial intelligence (AI).
BuntPlanet’s software has been used to support customers with smart metering solutions, water quality, asset management and integration of hydraulic models and AI for detecting leaks and other anomalies in water networks.
Siemens has had a licensing agreement with BuntPlanet since 2019 to sell their leakage detection software known as SIWA LeakPlus.
With this acquisition, BuntPlanet’s entire offering and team will be integrated with Siemens’ application portfolio for water utilities.
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“We are excited to welcome the BuntPlanet team to Siemens and strengthen our software portfolio for the water industry,” says Axel Lorenz, CEO of Process Automation at Siemens.
“The digitalisation of the water industry is key to tackling current and future challenges of the global water supply. This acquisition will enable us to provide our customers with a more integrated and comprehensive solution for managing their water networks.”
The software firm’s flagship product, BuntBrain, is designed to enable leak detection, water quality improvement, end-use water analysis, water loss reduction, asset management, digital twin and water meter management.
Some of the key technologies used by BuntBrain include AI, big data and hydraulic simulation to identify anomalies with minimal risk of damage to infrastructure, while also cutting operational and maintenance costs.
According to Siemens, the combination of its own instrumentation and BuntPlanet’s software has demonstrated detection of leaks as small as 0.25 litres per second.
One Siemens customer VA Syd, a Swedish water company, has reportedly developed a smart leakage detection system based on the AI-powered SIWA LeakPlus application provided by Siemens.
Once the integration has fully concluded, Siemens will make BuntPlanet’s offering also available on its open business platform, Siemens Xcelerator.
Aihnoa Lete, CEO at BuntPlanet, added: “By joining Siemens, we are becoming part of a team that is leading the digital revolution globally. We are excited about the growth that this closer relationship will bring.”
