BlueRidge.AI has closed a $1.9 million seed funding led by Fulton-based DataTribe, a global cyber foundry that creates and co-builds next-generation cybersecurity and data science companies.

BlueRidge.AI is integrating the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), machine learning (ML) to predict and prevent costly unplanned downtimes with minimal information technology integration. The company was founded by Lloyd Clark, previously a strategic AI leader at the National Security Agency with a track record of bringing artificial intelligence and machine learning to software-defined networks. He brings the real-world experience and expertise needed to make smart manufacturing simple.

The DataTribe funding will accelerate time to market by expanding BlueRidge’s engineering team and sales organization.

“This investment in BlueRidge AI shows the unique talent from the intelligence community applying their expertise to solve commercial problems,” said Mike Janke, DataTribe co-founder and CEO. “Lloyd and his team have developed a technology that is literally three to four generations ahead of the current technology landscape. It is a huge overlooked problem they are solving.”