AI infrastructure and sustainability: Wafr $100M, TwelveLabs $100M, CarbonSix $40M, plus compute-as-commodity marketplace
Key Questions
What funding did Wafr receive and how is it addressing AI infrastructure challenges?
Wafr, a Vancouver startup, raised $100M to develop AI data centre cooling using thermal battery technology. The approach targets water and power bottlenecks in AI operations.
Which AI companies recently announced major funding rounds?
TwelveLabs raised $100M in Series B funding for video superintelligence, backed by NEA, NAVER, Amazon, Radical, and Index. CarbonSix secured $40M in Series A for Physical AI in manufacturing, co-led by South Korean VCs.
What is the compute-as-commodity marketplace startup and its funding?
Ornn raised a $33M seed round from a16z to build a marketplace for trading AI compute capacity. The platform aims to create financial infrastructure for AI compute similar to commodity trading like oil.
Vancouver startup Wafr raises $100M for AI data centre cooling using thermal battery technology, addressing water/power bottlenecks. TwelveLabs $100M Series B for video superintelligence (NEA, NAVER, Amazon, Radical, Index). CarbonSix $40M Series A in Physical AI for manufacturing (South Korean VCs co-leading). New: A compute-as-commodity marketplace startup raised $33M seed from a16z, aiming to create financial infrastructure for trading AI compute capacity, similar to oil trading. These rounds highlight the growing need for AI infrastructure, sustainability, and novel financing mechanisms, with significant Canadian and international investor participation.