IFS Buys TheLoops, Sets Off a New Era of AI Agents That Actually Work—And Work for You
Enterprise software is about to get a serious promotion—from clipboard holder to co-worker.
IFS, a leader in industrial cloud and enterprise software, announced its acquisition of TheLoops, a startup specializing in autonomous AI agent technology. The move plants IFS firmly ahead of the pack in the industrial AI arms race, as it becomes the first major vendor to embed agentic AI into mission-critical operations at scale.
Forget co-pilots. IFS is now building digital teammates.
From Workflow Tracking to Workflow Doing
While most enterprise AI still revolves around predictions, insights, and a generous helping of dashboards, IFS’s acquisition of TheLoops signals a bolder direction: autonomous agents that search, reason, and act—without waiting for a human to click “next.”
By embedding these AI agents throughout its suite, IFS aims to transform how asset-heavy industries operate—think manufacturing, utilities, aerospace, and energy. These aren’t general-purpose bots trying to guess your next move. They’re semantically aware agents that understand the language, workflows, and governance models of industrial environments.
“This is not about AI for the sake of AI,” said Mark Moffat, CEO of IFS. “It’s about real value capture. Our customers get intelligent agents that understand their industry from day one—and who play by the rules.”
AI That’s Built for the Plant, Not the Whiteboard
The industrial sector is filled with legacy systems, compliance headaches, and critical infrastructure—making it a minefield for generic AI. But TheLoops brings something different to the table: an AI agent platform purpose-built for complexity, where agents can collaborate with each other, handle sensitive data, and still deliver measurable ROI.
IFS plans to leverage TheLoops’ multi-agent architecture to deliver:
- Autonomous decision-making that goes beyond simple automation
- Composable agents that work together across domains
- Secure, governed execution inside regulated environments
- Real-world semantic understanding of operations and assets
In short: AI that doesn’t just suggest what to do—it knows how to do it, does it, and knows why it matters.
The End of “Pilot AI” for the Industrial Enterprise
It’s no secret that AI in the enterprise has often struggled to move beyond isolated use cases or flashy demos. But IFS isn’t pitching a prototype. This acquisition delivers a production-ready platform that integrates AI into the very fabric of industrial workflows.
“Together, we’re delivering agents that act—not just analyze,” said Somya Kapoor, CEO of TheLoops. “This isn’t experimental; it’s transformational.”
IDC analyst Aly Pinder agrees: “Agentic decision-making will enable organizations to rethink their digital workforce. IFS is well-positioned to lead this shift across asset-intensive, service-focused industries.”
Why It Matters—and Who Should Pay Attention
This move puts IFS in the vanguard of a bigger shift: enterprise-grade AI moving from passive assistant to active collaborator. While competitors like SAP, Oracle, and ServiceNow are all investing in generative AI, most are still focused on co-pilot experiences—great for speeding up tasks, but limited in autonomy.
IFS, meanwhile, is going full agentic. That means AI not just assisting with work, but owning pieces of it.
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