Cognitive Geology

Cognitive Geology Limited, founded in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2014 by geologist Luke Johnson, developed subsurface software aimed at the oil and gas industry. The company's focus was to bridge the gap between existing software and the investment decision needs of oil companies. Its software was designed to help geologists manage uncertainty and make informed decisions regarding the discovery, appraisal, and development of both conventional and unconventional oil and gas reserves.

Luke Johnson, who served as the CEO, brought over 15 years of experience in the oilfield to the company. His background as a geologist fueled the company's mission to challenge and improve upon the antiquated technology prevalent in the geosciences sector. The company provided a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for scenario-based uncertainty management in geological property modeling. This enabled clients, which included major corporations like Shell and Baker Hughes, to explicitly model geological trends and test various scenarios to understand their potential economic impact.

The firm's business model revolved around providing its specialized software to businesses in the energy exploration market. Significant achievements for Cognitive Geology included securing a $1.2 million contract with Shell in 2018. The company's funding history included a seed round of $492K in June 2016 and a Series A round of $3.11M in October 2017, with investors such as Maven Capital Partners and Enzo Ventures. Despite these milestones, the company entered into bankruptcy and was liquidated in October 2020.

Keywords: subsurface software, geological modeling, oil and gas exploration, uncertainty management, petrotechnical software, SaaS, energy exploration, reservoir characterization, geoscience software, investment decision support, geological data analysis, conventional reserves, unconventional reserves, petroleum geology, appraisal and development, Luke Johnson, Edinburgh startup, Maven Capital Partners, Shell, Baker Hughes