One Big Circle
One Big Circle is a British rail technology company developing AI-based video inspection systems for railway infrastructure, headquartered in Bristol with operations in Derby.
One Big Circle was founded in 2017 by Emily Kent, Barnaby Kent, Ian Packer, and Sam Low. The company employs around 70–80 people and develops both hardware and software in-house.
Its work sits within the broader field of digital systems and software in rail: turning routine train journeys into a continuous stream of inspection data.
Products
The core product is AIVR (Automated Intelligent Video Review), a system combining train-mounted and lineside cameras with cloud processing and analytics. Video and sensor data is captured during normal operations, transmitted over 4G/5G, and made available for remote review in a browser-based platform.
Computer vision models detect track and trackside assets, surface defects, and component issues in the captured data — one of the AI and machine learning applications with the widest operational deployment in UK rail. Product variants cover forward-facing video, thermal recording of conductor and running rail, and remote signal sighting.
Market position
AIVR is widely adopted across the network managed by Network Rail, with data also accessed by companies in the UK rail supply chain. According to the company, over 500 AIVR devices are deployed, serving more than 13,000 users.
Beyond the UK, One Big Circle has partnered with RailWorks (2023) for distribution of AIVR in North America.
Current activity
In April 2026, US-headquartered track maintenance company Loram Maintenance of Way took a minority stake in One Big Circle as part of a strategic partnership aimed at deploying AIVR internationally. The company states that its founding team remains in place and that it continues to operate independently.
In 2026 the company has also launched CPD-certified training sessions for rail industry professionals and expanded the AIVR platform’s capabilities.
