Research at Durham University has led to a new technology company using artificial intelligence to help experts make decisions about what lies beneath the Earth’s surface.
StratoBayes, a Durham University spin-out, has launched with £280,000 in innovation funding, commercialisation support and venture capital. The company is already working with industry on its first commercial pilots and is securing UK patent protection for its core technology.
From fossil dating to subsurface decisions
The research began with a question about the origins of animal life. Durham palaeontologist Professor Martin Smith wanted to establish when the Cambrian Explosion took place — a period around half a billion years ago when most major animal groups first appeared.
Fossils from that period are found in different parts of the world, making it difficult to build a reliable timeline. Researchers developed a method for comparing evidence from different locations and estimating the most likely ages of fossils, later turning the approach into software.
The work was supported by the Leverhulme Trust and published in the journal Geochronology in 2025. The team later found that the same method could be applied to challenges far beyond palaeontology.
Potential uses in energy and infrastructure
StratoBayes uses AI to help specialists interpret complex information about the Earth’s subsurface. A key feature is that it indicates how certain or uncertain its results are, allowing users to assess the evidence behind a decision.
The technology could be used in carbon capture and storage, geothermal energy, critical minerals, mining, energy security and major infrastructure. Market research carried out through Innovate UK’s ICURe programme identified demand from the energy, drilling and storage industries and recommended that the research become a spin-out company.
StratoBayes has received further support from Durham University’s Technology Transfer Office, Northern Accelerator and Northern Net Zero Accelerator. It was established as a Durham University spin-out in June 2026, with Dr Kilian Eichenseer as chief executive. Experienced software founder Ed Bartlett joined as chair through the Executives into Business programme.
Commercial pilots already under way
The company is testing its technology with firms in the UK and United States. One commercial pilot with Hotspur Helium is exploring how StratoBayes’ AI could support helium exploration.
An early version of the software is already being used by more than 20 geoscientists across eight countries.
“Our goal is to provide scientists and engineers with AI that speeds up interpretation and shows how confident they can be in the result, enabling better-informed decisions in high-stakes subsurface work.”
The university said further information is available about the work of Dr Kilian Eichenseer, Professor Martin Smith, Professor Andrew Millard and Dr Matthias Sinnesael, as well as the full research paper in Geochronology.