Stone Three Venture Technology
Stone Three is an industrial AI company that builds machine vision sensors and advanced process control software to optimize comminution and flotation circuits for global mining operators. It serves enterprise miners across copper, gold, PGM, lithium, coal, and iron ore through direct sales and OEM partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersSomerset West, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Stone Three Venture Technology does
Stone Three Venture Technology (legally Stone Three Digital (Pty) Ltd) is a private South African industrial AI company founded in 2000 and headquartered in Somerset West, with a US regional subsidiary, Stone Three Inc., in Naperville, Illinois. It builds AI-driven mineral processing technology for the global mining industry, specifically targeting real-time measurement and optimization problems in comminution (crushing and grinding) and flotation circuits. Its product portfolio centers on three core offerings: Smart Sensors, which use in-situ machine vision to measure froth and pulp-phase variables such as bubble size and superficial velocity; Advanced Process Control (APC), which applies Model Predictive Control and Real-Time Optimization algorithms to stabilize throughput and recovery; and SmartROC, a remote operations platform that combines expert process knowledge with machine learning for continuous monitoring and diagnostics. Around these, two verticalized solutions are marketed: Comminution Optimization and Flotation Optimization, the latter augmented by the Flotation 360 monitoring platform co-developed with Nalco Water.
Stone Three monetizes primarily through enterprise contracts to large mining operators, with revenue from a mix of software/technology subscriptions (SmartROC, APC) and professional services for remote monitoring and diagnostics (RM&D). It serves a concentrated set of enterprise customers including Anglo American Platinum, FQM Kansanshi, and Motheo Copper Mine, and extends reach through strategic channels, notably Wabtec Digital Mine (reseller/co-development) and Nalco Water (co-development). Operations span South Africa, Australia, and the Americas, with deployments across copper, gold, platinum group metals, lithium, coal, and iron ore. The company has raised expansion funding from venture capital firm Knife Capital in October 2021 (approximately $1M) and a follow-on undisclosed round in September 2023.
Stone Three Venture Technology firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stone Three Venture Technology
- Legal name
- Stone Three Digital (Pty) Ltd
- Website
- https://stonethree.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Stone Three is an industrial AI company that builds machine vision sensors and advanced process control software to optimize comminution and flotation circuits for global mining operators. It serves enterprise miners across copper, gold, PGM, lithium, coal, and iron ore through direct sales and OEM partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stone Three Venture Technology industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial AI Software for Mining and Mineral Processing
- NAICS
- Mining Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333131)
- SIC
- Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mining Automation, Telematics & Fleet Management Systems (IMAKANAK)
Keywords
Where Stone Three Venture Technology is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Somerset West
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
Stone Three Venture Technology business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software and Technology Solutions: AI-driven mineral processing solutions including sensors, software platforms, and advanced process control systems. Provided as enterprise solutions with implementation and support services.
- Professional Services: Remote monitoring and diagnostic (RM&D) services delivered by experienced professional services team. Includes process expert interpretation, data mining activities on process historian data, and actionable advisories.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Stone Three Venture Technology product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stone Three develops AI-driven mineral processing software and smart sensors for the mining industry. Its portfolio includes the SmartROC remote operations platform, Smart Sensors using in-situ machine vision, and Advanced Process Control (MPC/RTO) software. These are delivered as Comminution Optimization and Flotation Optimization solutions for global mining operators, complemented by remote monitoring and diagnostic (RM&D) professional services.
Product overview
Stone Three is an AI-driven mineral processing technology company offering a unified portfolio of solutions for the mining industry. The core offering consists of SmartROC™ (remote monitoring and diagnostics platform), Smart Sensors (real-time measurement hardware), and Advanced Process Control (AI-powered optimization software). These are delivered through two specialized solutions: Comminution Optimization (for crushing and grinding circuits) and Flotation Optimization (for mineral separation). The platform combines industrial AI-enabled machine vision, real-time sensors, and advanced process control algorithms to deliver always-on, always accurate, continuously monitored performance across comminution and flotation operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SmartROC: Remote operations center combining expert process knowledge with AI-powered machine learning for remote visibility and actionable insights across mining operations
- Smart Sensors
- Advanced Process Control
Products and services
- SmartROC™
Quantifiable outcome
- 30-50% reduction in mill load and power draw variability
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Stone Three Venture Technology
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Stone Three Venture Technology technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature5 records
Stone Three Venture Technology partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.
- Wabtec Digital MinecoreWabtec Corp's Digital Mine organization collaborates with Stone Three to expand reach and capabilities around optimizing mineral processing plants through machine vision-based smart sensor technology, consultative data analysis, and advanced process control services. The agreement builds on successful prior collaboration in regions including South Africa and Australia.
- Nalco Water (Ecolab company)majorNalco Water launched its Flotation 360 monitoring platform developed in partnership with Stone Three to optimize flotation circuits. This platform combines Stone Three's sensor and monitoring technology with Nalco Water's reagent optimization expertise to provide comprehensive flotation optimization solutions.
- Microsoft Azure IoTsupportingStone Three utilizes Microsoft Azure IoT to deploy and manage OPC data connectors to client operations, enabling reliable and secure data flow to IoT Hub for processing by authorized systems through open standards.
- DatabrickssupportingStone Three uses Databricks in conjunction with Spark and other open technologies for orchestration of data transforms and management of data lakes through Unity Catalogue, enabling data contextualization and centralization for mining clients.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Stone Three Venture Technology competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Metso: Metso is a global mining and metals OEM with sensors, FrothSense, and process optimization products inside its PlantUp / Planet Positive portfolio. It directly overlaps with Stone Three in flotation monitoring, comminution optimization, and APC for mining operators, but competes from a much larger installed base.
- FLSmidth: FLSmidth is a major mining equipment OEM offering ECS/ProcessExpert advanced process control and EVAL digital solutions for mineral processing plants. Like Stone Three, it sells APC and digital optimization to copper, gold, and PGM operators, but as part of a much broader equipment and EPC portfolio.
- ABB: ABB delivers industrial automation, drives, and ABB Ability mining/mine hoist and process optimization solutions worldwide. It competes with Stone Three for the process-control, energy-efficiency, and connected-plant budgets of mining operators, but from a much broader portfolio.
- Honeywell Process Solutions: Honeywell's Experion PKS and APC solutions serve minerals processing customers alongside its broader industrial process-control installed base. Comparable to Stone Three in advanced process control and remote operations for mining and adjacent process plants.
- Rockwell Automation: Rockwell Automation's PlantPAx and Pavilion8 / FactoryTalk platforms deliver DCS, advanced process control, and analytics for industrial plants including mining and mineral processing. It overlaps with Stone Three on APC and SCADA integration but serves a much wider set of industries.
- Komatsu (incl. Modular Mining): Komatsu (with Modular Mining) provides autonomous haulage, fleet management, and Smart Mining digital solutions for surface and underground mining operations. Comparable because both target productivity and digital optimization budgets at large mining majors, though Komatsu's focus is on mobile equipment rather than process plants.
- Hexagon Mining: Hexagon's Mining division offers geoscience, fleet management, and autonomous solutions across the mine value chain. Like Stone Three, it sells digital and AI-driven productivity tools to global mining operators, but it is positioned more towards mining operations planning rather than mineral processing circuits.
Direct peers
- CiDRA Minerals Processing: CiDRA builds froth imaging and ultrasonic-based flotation and grinding sensors for concentrators, the closest direct competitor to Stone Three's Smart Sensors and in-situ pulp sensor product line for flotation optimization.
Emerging players
- IntelliSense.io: IntelliSense.io offers AI-based real-time optimization (Process Optimizer) for mining and metals processing, with a focus on comminution and flotation customers. It directly overlaps with Stone Three's SmartROC and Advanced Process Control offerings but from a newer, software-led footprint.
Others
- Seeq Corporation: Seeq provides time-series process analytics and ML workbench that mining customers use to operationalize process historian and APC data, including alongside Stone Three's flotSmartROC deployments. Comparable because it sits in the same data/advanced analytics stack adjacent to Stone Three's APC and SmartROC offerings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Stone Three Venture Technology social profiles
Digital presenceStone Three Venture Technology financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stone Three Venture Technology leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Stone Three Venture Technology subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Stone Three Venture Technology funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stone Three Venture Technology M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Stone Three Venture Technology
What does Stone Three Venture Technology do?
Stone Three develops AI-driven mineral processing software and smart sensors for the mining industry. Its portfolio includes the SmartROC remote operations platform, Smart Sensors using in-situ machine vision, and Advanced Process Control (MPC/RTO) software. These are delivered as Comminution Optimization and Flotation Optimization solutions for global mining operators, complemented by remote monitoring and diagnostic (RM&D) professional services.
Is Stone Three Venture Technology a public or private company?
Stone Three Venture Technology is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Stone Three Venture Technology founded?
Stone Three Venture Technology was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Stone Three Venture Technology based?
Stone Three Venture Technology is headquartered in Somerset West, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Stone Three Venture Technology make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Software and Technology Solutions are the primary driver. The others are professional Services.
Who are Stone Three Venture Technology's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Metso, FLSmidth, ABB, Honeywell Process Solutions, Rockwell Automation, Komatsu (incl. Modular Mining) and Hexagon Mining. CiDRA Minerals Processing is listed as a direct peer. IntelliSense.io is listed as an emerging player. Seeq Corporation is listed as an others.
Does Stone Three Venture Technology have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stone Three Venture Technology.
What industry is Stone Three Venture Technology in?
Stone Three Venture Technology's product category is Industrial AI Software for Mining and Mineral Processing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKANAK, Mining Automation, Telematics & Fleet Management Systems. Its NAICS code is 333131 and its SIC code is 3532.