IFS acquires TheLoops to deploy AI agents in industrial sectors
IFS has acquired TheLoops in a move to launch an autonomous agent platform tailored to mission-critical industry operations.
The acquisition positions IFS to transition from providing enterprise software that monitors work to offering software that actively performs tasks, targeting productivity gains across regulated, asset-intensive sectors. The new platform will integrate autonomous AI agents into core industrial workflows, adopting a novel approach that extends beyond conventional monitoring and prediction.
AI agents in the industrial workforce
Through the integration of TheLoops' agentic technology, IFS aims to bring composable, semantically aware AI agents into real-world industrial environments. These digital agents are designed to work alongside human employees, adhere to customer-defined rules and compliance requirements, and collaborate securely in workflows.
According to IFS, this multi-agent environment will mean AI is no longer just a co-pilot providing recommendations, but a co-worker capable of autonomous decision-making and execution. The platform also prioritises maintaining security and governance from the outset, which is crucial for industries with stringent regulatory requirements.
Mark Moffat, Chief Executive Officer at IFS, emphasised the role of these agents in improving customer operations:
"The opportunity AI presents to mission-critical industries is immense, but needs to be structured around real value capture. The agentic capabilities that TheLoops provides our customers will enable them to transform their processes, operational efficiency and how they differentiate in the Moments of Service they provide their customers."
"Our customers can leverage intelligent digital teammates who understand their business from day one, agents that speak their industrial language, follow their rules, and operate securely in their workflows. With TheLoops, we're providing a platform that makes Industrial AI agentic, actionable, and available - at scale. This is IFS extending its lead in Industrial AI."
Bringing action, not just insights
TheLoops' technology enables the creation of AI agents that can interpret the semantics of various industries and businesses, integrate within enterprise workflows, and adhere to strict compliance standards set by customers. The intention is for these agents to streamline operations, boost organisational capacity, and allow skilled workers to focus on higher-value tasks rather than routine activities.
Somya Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer at TheLoops, highlighted the broader impact this partnership could have on the industry:
"At TheLoops, our mission has always been to deliver AI that drives action, not just insight. By joining forces with IFS, we're taking that vision to a whole new level. Together, we're delivering AI Autonomous agents that understand the real-world complexity of industrial environments – what work needs to be done, how to do it, and how to do it securely, ethically, and at scale. This isn't experimental; it's transformational. I'm incredibly excited to bring this innovation to customers around the world."
Industry context
The timing of the acquisition follows recent government commitments in the United Kingdom to increase investment in AI and strengthen the nation's industrial base. The government's aim to support research and development in artificial intelligence is set against a background of sluggish productivity growth. Proponents of industrial AI solutions point to the potential for technology like IFS's new platform to contribute to reversing these trends by enhancing operational efficiency and generating measurable returns on investment.
Aly Pinder, Research Vice President, Aftermarket Services Strategies at IDC, commented:
"AI is disrupting our world, but nowhere is the potential impact more pronounced than in the Industrial setting. IFS's acquisition of TheLoops is addressing a huge opportunity for asset intensive and service obsessed industries, where agentic decision making will enable organisations to rethink their digital workforce, so they can improve the way they serve their own customers. IFS is well-positioned to lead this shift in each of the industries it serves – bringing intelligent automation that's not just smart, but situationally aware and operationally impactful."
The integration of TheLoops agentic platform with IFS's products will provide industrial clients with a new suite of tools aimed at advancing automation beyond traditional limits. Applications are expected across various sectors, including manufacturing, energy, and utilities, that rely on efficient operations and compliance.
With the transaction, IFS expands its suite to deliver a digital workforce purpose-built for regulated industries. TheLoops' capabilities are anticipated to play a role in shaping strategies related to AI adoption for enterprise clients focused on productivity and secure operation at scale.
