Percepto Launches Axion AI Platform for Infrastructure Inspection

Percepto has launched Axion, a hardware-agnostic Physical AI platform designed to deliver continuous, AI-driven insights for infrastructure operators by unifying data from any drone, sensor, or archive. The company announced the software-as-a-service offering on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Axion uses more than 160 specialized AI models trained on over 100,000 hours of real-world autonomous inspection data collected over more than a decade. The platform ingests data from supported third-party drone platforms, fixed and mobile sensors, and existing inspection archives. Operators can ask questions about their assets and inspection findings in plain language, with AI delivering answers and recommendations. This gives mission-critical operators a continuously updated understanding of their infrastructure.

Percepto opened its platform to companies using existing or new drone fleets, third-party sensors, or other data collection channels. Operators can start with existing inspection data and add Percepto’s Ranger drone portfolio and Harbor autonomous station for more frequent data collection. The platform organizes inspection data by asset and applies AI to interpret equipment condition in context, turning raw data into actionable intelligence. Axion works with data from lidar, RGB, thermal, and OGI sensor types.

Strategic Shift to Software-First Operations

Axion represents Percepto's strategic pivot from hardware-centric operations to a software-first model while maintaining its hardware business as usual. This is Percepto's first software-first product, moving beyond its traditional hardware and in-house software approach. The shift is supported by the company's long history with hardware and data collection since its founding in 2014. Axion can help address industry challenges like managing massive data volumes and an aging workforce in energy and utility sectors. It is described as the first step in a next chapter that opens Percepto’s technology to more operators and leverages existing inspection investments. The company is not abandoning its hardware business, which remains 'business as usual'.

Proven Platform with Industry Validation

Axion has been live with a select group of customers since its soft launch, with feedback shaping the platform's models. Inspection history and expert validation back each finding. The platform identifies issues like downed wires by analyzing relationships to surrounding components or evaluates thermal anomalies against expected asset behavior and environmental conditions. A leading U.S. energy company recently awarded Percepto a multi-year contract for transmission line inspection, extending a long-standing partnership. Under that contract, Percepto will provide aerial data collection and AI-powered inspection analytics across the customer’s transmission network. The goal is to help teams identify issues earlier, prioritize maintenance, and strengthen grid reliability. Percepto serves Fortune 500 organizations across the power, oil and gas, and industrial sectors.

Targeted Deployment for Critical Infrastructure

The platform is initially available for operators of power grids, oil and gas facilities, and industrial sites. An aging workforce and fewer experienced reviewers are increasing the data review bottleneck for these sectors. Axion's specialized AI models are trained on data spanning upstream oil and gas, transmission and distribution, downstream processing, and renewables. Percepto operates under a nationwide FAA waiver covering beyond visual line of sight drone flights, supporting these deployments. The company is also consolidating its engineering, manufacturing, and assembly in the United States as part of supporting American Drone Dominance requirements, with assembly already taking place domestically.

Leadership Driving the Transition

A new leadership team is steering the company's shift. Percepto assembled this team led by CEO Julien Bellanger, CRO Kurt Nantkes, and CMO Amir Khoshniyati, all previously working at Wiliot. Their experience spans robotics, sensors, IoT, Physical AI, and cybersecurity. CEO Julien Bellanger stated he joined Percepto to lead this stage of the company after a career in cybersecurity and IoT/Physical AI. He noted that the bottleneck in infrastructure inspection has shifted from data collection to reviewing thousands of images and deciding what needs attention. Bellanger said, "The infrastructure powering our economy should benefit from the same advances in AI that are transforming the digital world."

Percepto plans to work with customers in the field to expand assets and use cases covered by Axion over the coming year. The company intends to connect more data sources and build further into existing workflows for maintenance and reliability teams.