Utilidata

Utilidata

Software-defined grid optimization for utilities

Overview

Utilidata digitizes the grid edge with software that runs on a smart grid chip developed with NVIDIA. The company provides software licenses and services to utilities and energy providers to optimize the distribution and management of energy in real time, using data and machine learning to coordinate distributed energy resources. This hardware-software approach helps utilities reduce costs, improve reliability, and enable higher integration of renewable energy. Unlike purely software-only grid tools, Utilidata combines a hardware-accelerated chip with software to run advanced grid-management algorithms at the edge, offering data-driven insights and operational efficiency directly where the energy flows. The company’s goal is to accelerate the adoption of clean energy by making grid operations more flexible, reliable, and capable of handling increased renewable generation and distributed resources.

About Utilidata

Simplify's Rating
Why Utilidata is rated
B-
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Data & Analytics

Energy

Enterprise Software

AI & Machine Learning

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Series C

Total Funding

$155.3M

Headquarters

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Founded

2012

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • May 28, 2026 funding closed at $100 million, extending runway and hiring 25% more staff.
  • March 12, 2026 NexGen Cloud deployment targets 50% more usable capacity across Montreal and Europe.
  • Advantech availability and Hubbell smart-meter integration broaden channels beyond custom utility sales cycles.

What critics are saying

  • NexGen Cloud is Utilidata’s first commercial deployment, so revenue concentration stays extreme through 2026.
  • Karman’s value depends on customer adoption; one failed Montreal rollout would damage sales credibility.
  • Utilities and hyperscalers can build in-house power orchestration, commoditizing Utilidata before 2027.

What makes Utilidata unique

  • Karman, co-developed with NVIDIA, embeds rack-level AI power control on Jetson Orin Nano.
  • Utilidata targets stranded capacity, not new generation, using millisecond power orchestration for data centers.
  • Ann Arbor headquarters and distributed-energy labs let Utilidata test grid-edge and server workloads together.

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Funding

Total Funding

$155.3M

Below

Industry Average

Funded Over

5 Rounds

Series C funding is usually for startups that are doing well and are looking for more money to fuel major growth, such as acquiring other companies, expanding into global markets, or launching new product lines. Investors typically include larger venture capital firms and private equity.
Series C Funding Comparison
Below Average

Industry standards

$50M
$40M
Utilidata
$50M
Medium
$62M
SeatGeek
$100M
Oura

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) Company Match

Flexible Work Hours

Remote Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

-3%

1 year growth

-2%

2 year growth

0%
Ann Arbor SPARK
Jun 1st, 2026
Utilidata raises $40 million extension, completing $100M Series C to maximize AI compute capacity.

Utilidata raises $40 million extension, completing $100M Series C to maximize AI compute capacity. The added investment from Renown Capital Partners and Keyframe Capital will enable Utilidata to rapidly execute upon its commercial growth strategy and expand its workforce. Utilidata, a leader in embedded AI for power infrastructure, announced today that it has secured an additional $40 million in Series C funding. The round was led by existing investor Renown Capital Partners with participation from Keyframe Capital, completing the Series C at $100 million. The extension marks the second and final close of Utilidata's Series C financing, following the company's initial $60.3 million round led by Renown Capital in April 2025, with participation from Keyframe Capital, Quanta Services, and NVIDIA. The funding will strengthen Utilidata's position to scale commercialization with hyperscalers and the data center market. The company's power orchestration platform, Karman, was developed in partnership with NVIDIA, and unlocks stranded capacity with real-time visibility and control of power utilization. Built on a custom NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano module, Karman is designed to be embedded at the rack level of data centers to manage rack power in real time, providing operators with high-speed visibility of power utilization. "The AI infrastructure buildout is one of the defining themes of this decade, but power is a fundamental limitation," said James McIntyre, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Renown Capital Partners. "Karman directly solves that problem by getting more out of the power that is available. We're deepening our commitment to Utilidata because the market need is urgent, the technology is ready, and we are confident that the team has what it takes to deliver." Continued support from investors reflects growing recognition that AI growth depends on solving fundamental infrastructure problems. Power is the binding constraint. Interconnection queues stretch years and the increasing density of GPU compute creates power quality challenges that can push instability back onto the grid. The industry needs solutions that intelligently orchestrate power to maximize the performance of existing infrastructure, unlock stranded capacity, and enable denser deployments without causing issues on the grid. Karman smooths power fluctuations, reducing negative grid impacts that pose regulatory risks to data center interconnection and operations outlined in the recent guidelines from North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). The Series C extension comes ahead of Utilidata's first commercial deployment with NexGen Cloud, which will go live in Montreal next month and target up to 50% additional usable capacity. "We've believed in this team for a long time, and this round reflects our conviction that Karman is the breakthrough technology at exactly the right moment," said John Rapaport, CIO, Keyframe Capital. "AI data centers can't afford to wait for new power capacity. They need to maximize what they have now and that is exactly what Karman delivers." To support Utilidata's next phase of growth, the company is expanding its executive leadership team with the addition of Kit Chee as Chief Commercial Officer. Kit joins the team to lead Utilidata's commercial strategy, having previously scaled Intel's cloud sales from $9B to $23B, secured several hyperscalers at Ampere, and helped shape the growth strategy for an ASEAN neocloud. Along with the addition of Kit, Utilidata is increasing their workforce by 25% this year, many of which are based at their headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a new state-of-the-art 15,000-square-foot innovation lab with funding support from Governor Whitmer. Ann Arbor SPARK supported Utilidata's relocation to Ann Arbor by connecting the company with local resources, office space opportunities, and the region's highly skilled technology talent. "Power availability is the defining constraint for data centers right now," said Josh Brumberger, CEO of Utilidata. "Karman squeezes every watt out of the power you already have, and makes every new megawatt you bring online work smarter. We're commercializing this at exactly the right moment, and we're grateful for the investors who've backed us to do it."

dBusiness
May 28th, 2026
Utilidata in Ann Arbor raises $40M Series C funding to maximize AI compute capacity.

Utilidata in Ann Arbor raises $40M Series C funding to maximize AI compute capacity. Utilidata, a company in Ann Arbor that provides embedded AI for power infrastructure, announced today that it has secured an additional $40 million in Series C funding completing the series at $100 million. The funding will strengthen the company's position to scale commercialization with hyperscalers and the data center market. May 28, 2026 Utilidata, a company in Ann Arbor that provides embedded AI for power infrastructure, announced today that it has secured an additional $40 million in Series C funding completing the series at $100 million. The funding will strengthen the company's position to scale commercialization with hyperscalers and the data center market. The round was led by existing investor Renown Capital Partners with participation from Keyframe Capital. The extension marks the second and final close of Utilidata's Series C financing, following the company's initial $60.3 million round led by Renown Capital in April 2025, with participation from Keyframe Capital, Quanta Services, and NVIDIA. The company's power orchestration platform, Karman, was developed in partnership with NVIDIA, and unlocks stranded capacity with real-time visibility and control of power utilization. Built on a custom NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano module, Karman is designed to be embedded at the rack level of data centers to manage rack power in real time, providing operators with high-speed visibility of power utilization. ADVERTISING "The AI infrastructure buildout is one of the defining themes of this decade, but power is a fundamental limitation," says James McIntyre, co-founder and managing partner of Renown Capital Partners. "Karman directly solves that problem by getting more out of the power that is available. We're deepening our commitment to Utilidata because the market need is urgent, the technology is ready, and we are confident that the team has what it takes to deliver." Continued support from investors reflects growing recognition that AI growth depends on solving fundamental infrastructure problems. Power is the binding constraint, according to Utilidata. Interconnection queues stretch years and the increasing density of GPU compute creates power quality challenges that can push instability back onto the grid, the company says. "Power availability is the defining constraint for data centers right now," says Josh Brumberger, CEO of Utilidata. "Karman squeezes every watt out of the power you already have and makes every new megawatt you bring online work smarter. We're commercializing this at exactly the right moment, and we're grateful for the investors who've backed us to do it." The industry needs solutions that intelligently orchestrate power to maximize the performance of existing infrastructure, unlock stranded capacity, and enable denser deployments without causing issues on the grid, Utilidata says. Its Karman solution is designed to smooth power fluctuations, reducing negative grid impacts that pose regulatory risks to data center interconnection and operations outlined in the recent guidelines from North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC). The Series C extension comes ahead of Utilidata's first commercial deployment with NexGen Cloud, which will go live in Montreal next month and target up to 50 percent additional usable capacity. "We've believed in this team for a long time, and this round reflects our conviction that Karman is the breakthrough technology at exactly the right moment," says John Rapaport, CIO of Keyframe Capital. "AI data centers can't afford to wait for new power capacity. They need to maximize what they have now and that is exactly what Karman delivers." To support Utilidata's next phase of growth, the company is expanding its executive leadership team with the addition of Kit Chee as chief commercial officer. Previously, Chee scaled Intel's cloud sales from $9 billion to $23 billion, secured several hyperscalers at Ampere, and helped shape the growth strategy for an ASEAN neocloud. Along with the addition of Chee, Utilidata is increasing its workforce by 25 percent this year, many of which are based at their headquarters in Ann Arbor, a new state-of-the-art 15,000-square-foot innovation lab.

SiliconANGLE Media
May 28th, 2026
Utilidata raises $40M to boost data centre power efficiency with Karman module

Utilidata has raised $40 million from Renown Capital Partners and Keyframe Capital, extending its Series C round to $100.3 million. The funding will expand adoption of Karman, a hardware module that optimises data centre power usage. Karman measures server rack energy consumption one million times per second and redirects excess electricity to other areas when usage drops. The module responds to utilisation changes in 20 milliseconds, enabling data centres to maximise existing power capacity rather than purchasing additional supply. Built on Nvidia's Jetson Orion Nano accelerator, Karman can also identify when operators set aside excessive power reserves. Utilidata recently partnered with NextGen Cloud to deploy the technology, aiming to boost usable inference capacity by up to 50%. The module also supports power grid applications, including residential smart metres.

Crain Communications
May 28th, 2026
Nvidia-backed Ann Arbor company secures additional $40M investment

Nvidia-backed Ann Arbor company secures another $40 million investment, bringing their Series C total to $100 million.

POWER Magazine
Mar 12th, 2026
AI Groups Utilidata, NexGen Cloud Partner to Unlock Stranded Energy

AI groups Utilidata, NexGen Cloud Partner to unlock stranded energy. Thursday, March 12, 2026 Utilidata, a group specializing in embedded artificial intelligence (AI) for power infrastructure, and NexGen Cloud, a European AI cloud provider, have announced the deployment of the Karman AI power control platform across NexGen Cloud's data centers. The companies on March 12 said the collaboration is designed to increase available AI compute capacity within existing grid constraints, targeting up to 50% additional usable capacity through intelligent Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) power orchestration and utilization of stranded energy. The initiative also strengthens infrastructure resilience by introducing real-time, AI-driven power optimization at the rack level. Karman runs on a custom NVIDIA module and acts as the intelligence layer for next-generation power infrastructure, dynamically balancing performance, efficiency, and reliability across AI workloads. The initial deployment is a showcase data center facility in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, before a broader rollout across NexGen Cloud's European operations. For its enterprise customers, the partnership will enable NexGen Cloud's full stack AI cloud platform, Hyperstack, to deliver more AI capacity, at a lower price, and with enhanced power-related services for its customers. The partnership enables Hyperstack to drive superior energy performance through Karman as part of its ambitious secure private cloud expansion - including planned AI Factory deployments across North America and the Nordics, with capacity reaching hundreds of megawatts - and will extend these benefits to users of the Hyperstack on-demand compute service for AI, machine learning, and visualization applications. "Power is the single biggest constraint for AI growth today. Billions of dollars of existing capacity are underutilized in data centers worldwide," said Josh Brumberger, Utilidata CEO. "Karman unlocks that trapped capacity immediately while ensuring new data centers are optimized from day one. We're excited to partner with NexGen Cloud, a neocloud that understands the urgency of maximizing today's infrastructure and the enormous opportunity in building tomorrow's most effectively." Hyperstack operates across Europe and North America, with infrastructure powered by 100% renewable energy across its European and Canadian data centers. NexGen Cloud, its parent company, is an NVIDIA Cloud Partner (NCP), positioning it at the forefront of European AI infrastructure. With Karman's embedded intelligence, Hyperstack will unlock massive capacity gains without waiting for grid upgrades or new electrical infrastructure. "We now live in a world where 100MW+ projects are becoming commonplace. For infrastructure providers like NexGen Cloud servicing such projects, the next critical factor is energy management - specifically, maximizing the capacity already on-site. Karman gives us a significant commercial advantage by unlocking that trapped capacity; proving this level of optimization is a benefit we can then carry over directly to our end customers," said Chris Starkey, CEO of NexGen Cloud. Utilidata's custom module, co-developed with NVIDIA, provides the visibility, controls and safety mechanisms necessary to allow data center operators to fully utilize provisioned power capacity. By sampling at more than 1 million times per second and responding with sub 20-millisecond latency, Karman sees and reacts as fast as the servers themselves, providing data-driven, software-defined safety mechanisms to deploy dramatically more GPUs within existing power infrastructure. As data centers scale to meet AI demand, Karman complements NVIDIA's server-level optimizations with a parallel intelligence layer at the rack, row and building level. While GPUs optimize compute workloads, Karman optimizes electrical delivery, creating redundant, distributed visibility and control across both layers. - This content was contributed by the communications team for Utilidata. Tagged in:

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