Innovate or get left in the dust. That’s the kind of thinking that brought together Percepto, the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, and Koch Engineered Solutions into a new collaborative venture.

“This is an example of rapid transformation where there was a virtuous cycle to be had with Percepto and KES and our future customers,” says Ryley Clem, director of commercial development Equipment, Technology and Services for KES.

The partnership will allow Koch Specialty Plant Services, a KES subsidiary, to offer Percepto’s cutting-edge artificial intelligence software and autonomous drone-in-a-box solutions to its range of industrial customers. The partnership will benefit both Percepto and KES as they work to better meet the needs of their customers. It is the direct result of the kinds of connections and conversations that are facilitated by Koch’s culture of knowledge sharing and principled entrepreneurship.

As a director of commercial development, one of Ryley’s responsibilities is to seek out ways that KES can add to the services it offers to better meet the needs of industrial customers and create more value for them. Deeply understanding your customer’s challenges while staying on top of the latest innovations is a key part of that. One way Ryley stays connected to the latest ideas is by meeting with Bill Bender, Koch Labs® capability director.

Koch Labs is a capability of Koch Disruptive Technologies and looks to connect the companies it invests into the diverse ecosystem of subject matter experts, businesses and capabilities across Koch and its network of partners.

During one of those meetings, Bill and Ryley discussed Percepto, one of the companies KDT has invested in.

Percepto uses autonomous drone technologies, such as its Percepto Air Max™ and Percepto Air Max OGI™ platforms, to do remote, high-frequency, high-quality visual and thermal inspections of a wide range of industrial facilities. Then, Percepto’s Autonomous Inspection & Monitoring software creates AI-powered reports of anomalies and trends to key asset owners.

Ryley says it didn’t take long for him to recognize the opportunity that had just been presented to him.

“I thought, ‘Wow, that fits with what we’re trying to build in our new service offerings,’” he says. “We have to continue to innovate and transform and bring new products and services that create value for our customers. Percepto is bringing that.”

Shortly after speaking with Bill, Ryley set up a meeting with Ariel Avitan, one of the original founders of Percepto. The two quickly realized how valuable a partnership could be and how it would allow them to better serve their customers.

“The win-win here is that Percepto has the ability to be visible to a lot of very big clients that usually would take years to build relationships with,” Ariel says. “Now, we can take advantage of the reputation and ongoing relationships Koch Engineered Solutions has with these clients.”

And KES benefits by getting to offer a new cutting-edge service to its customers that can minimize downtime, streamline compliance, reduce operational costs, improve safety and help find ways to reduce emissions.

“We’re going to create value for our customers in ways neither of us could do by ourselves,” Ryley says.

Ariel credits being connected with the Koch Labs capability as crucial to the company’s success.

“KDT is the most added value investment we’ve ever had,” Ariel says. “It’s not just about the money, it’s about the relationships we have with Koch Labs and other Koch companies.”

He says Percepto is only just scratching the surface of potential use cases for its technology and software, and the partnership with KES and KSPS will only deepen their understanding of real-world uses and benefits.

“We’re excited to lead the revolution of unmanned inspections that helps industrial facilities optimize their operations and reach their environmental and safety goals,” Ariel says. “And this partnership with KES is a tremendous next step.”

Koch Industries

Koch Industries

Creating value. Transforming life.

Our life’s work is to help people improve their lives by making and innovating products and services our customers value. Our focus is on delivering mutual benefit: Win-win outcomes that make life better for customers and employees alike.

Based in Wichita, Kansas, Koch Industries is one of the largest private companies in America. A diverse set of businesses and industries across the world, we work together to keep improving and exploring new ways to make life even better.

Koch companies are involved in manufacturing, agriculture, pulp and paper, packaging, consumer products, building materials, glass, automotive components, refining, renewable energy, chemicals and polymers, electronics, enterprise software, data analytics, medical products, engineered technology, project services, recycling, supply chain and logistics, global commodities trading, and investments. Since 2003, Koch companies have invested more than $150 billion in growth and improvements. With a presence in about 60 countries, Koch companies employ more than 120,000 people worldwide, with about half of those in the United States.

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Our approach to Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) is different than most. We believe in people and seek a system of equal rights and mutual benefit where individuals succeed by helping others succeed – and where people are empowered to improve their lives and their communities. It’s why we focus on empowering individuals to improve their lives and communities through bottom-up solutions rather than top-down imperatives.

Environmental Stewardship

Consuming fewer resources, minimizing waste and constantly innovating to improve our manufacturing processes and performance is essential to the way we do business – benefiting our customers, employees, investors, communities and planet.

Five environmental stewardship priorities.

With more than 300 manufacturing sites across the United States – and about 100 more globally – we’re one of America’s largest manufacturers. Every day, across those sites, we strive to create more value, using fewer resources than the day before. We do it through constant improvement and innovation – both in the products we make and how we make them, and by managing our resources in a way that benefits our customers, employees, partners, community members and society.

• Innovation
• Energy Efficiency
• Air Quality
• Water
• Responsible Resource Management

Social Stewardship

Philanthropy. Health and safety. Diversity and inclusion. Meaningful, rewarding careers and community outreach. These are just some of the vital priorities of social stewardship that empower each of our employees to develop, contribute, self-actualize and create value for the world while supporting communities in which we live.

Governance

Our management framework, Principle Based Management™, is based on proven principles of human progress and a deep appreciation for the dignity of every individual. Our private ownership, shared Vision, Values, compliance standards and oversight all help us focus on long-term value creation.

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