Data centres are the backbone of the digital age, with unprecedented demand for digital infrastructure driven by the surge in the use of AI, machine learning, and supercomputing.
However, their energy consumption is skyrocketing.
By 2030, an estimated 6% of global energy consumption will be used specifically for cooling data centres. A shift from traditional cooling methods to more cost- and energy efficient liquid-based solutions is inevitable.
Enabling this transition, deep tech startup Apheros has announced a $1.85m funding round seizing this critical moment to introduce its metal foam technology, offering a solution to this pressing industry challenge.
The pre-seed funding round, led by venture capital firm Founderful, will accelerate development and deployment of Apheros’ metal foam-based cooling solutions.
The Apheros manufacturing process creates foam structures with completely open porosity and surface area, surpassing traditional solutions by a factor of thousand, which translates into what the company says are exceptional heat transfer and flow properties. Ideal for high performance cooling applications, Apheros’ metal foams are easily integrated into existing cooling systems.
Apheros AG, founded in August 2023, was developed as an ETH Zurich spin-off to tackle cooling challenges in a wide range of applications including high-performance computing and mobile devices.
Apheros’ co-founder and CEO Julia Carpenter was recently named one of Switzerland’s Top 10 “Founders to Watch” for her invention of Apheros novel metal foam manufacturing process. Co-founder and CTO Gaëlle Andreatta, has more than 16 years of experience in R&D, tech transfer, and start-up development.
Carpenter said: “Our technology has the potential to set new industry standards and significantly reduce the environmental impact of cooling solutions worldwide. This funding round will allow us to advance our mission of helping our customers achieve superior thermal performance, increase energy efficiency, and contribute to a greener future. Immediately, we will expand production, increase research and development efforts, and bring state-of-the-art solutions to a broader market.”
Apheros currently targets the thermal management market with a focus on liquid cooling, a segment expanding at a fast pace due to the needs created by the growing demand for high performance computing, artificial intelligence and data centres. More efficient cooling systems are needed to overcome current energy shortages and to reach ambitious climate protection goals. There is a pressing need to introduce higher performing cooling solutions to the market.
Andreatta said: “There is a dire need for more efficient cooling solutions. AI development is driving exponential growth in data centre energy consumption and inefficient cooling is the main culprit. Our unique metal foams have superior heat exchange and fluid transport properties, especially for liquid and two-phase cooling. With our customers, we are redefining thermal management.”
Jim Cornall is editor of Deeptech Digest and publisher at Ayr Coastal Media. He is an award-winning writer, editor, photographer, broadcaster, designer and author. Contact Jim here.
