Corintis Raises $24 Million to Revolutionize Chip Cooling for AI
Corintis, a Swiss startup specializing in advanced chip cooling solutions, has secured $24 million in a Series A funding round. This investment will fuel the company's efforts to expand its microfluidic cooling technology, particularly for chips used in artificial intelligence applications. The company has also welcomed Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan to its board, highlighting the growing importance of efficient cooling solutions in the face of increasing power demands.
Microfluidic Cooling Technology for AI Chips
Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, Corintis is developing innovative microfluidic cooling systems. These systems channel liquid directly through tiny pathways etched inside the chips, offering significantly improved heat removal compared to conventional methods. Tests conducted by Microsoft have demonstrated that the Corintis system can be up to three times more efficient than standard cooling techniques, reducing hot spots and lowering power and water consumption. This technology is crucial as AI chips from companies like Nvidia consume unprecedented amounts of power, straining traditional air-based cooling systems.
Funding and Expansion Plans
The Series A funding round was led by BlueYard Capital, with participation from Founderful, Acequia Capital, Celsius Industries, and XTX Ventures. This investment values Corintis at approximately $400 million. The total funds raised by the company now amount to $33.4 million, including pre-seed rounds. Corintis plans to use the new capital to scale up manufacturing capacity, expand its team to 70 employees by year-end, and establish offices in the United States to better serve its American customers.
Leadership and Strategic Partnerships
The addition of Lip-Bu Tan, CEO of Intel and chairman of Walden International, to the board underscores the strategic importance of Corintis's technology. Geoff Lyon, founder and former CEO of liquid-cooling company CoolIT, has also joined the board. These appointments strengthen the connection between chip design, manufacturing, and cooling solutions. According to Lip-Bu Tan, “Cooling is one of the biggest challenges for next-generation chips, and Corintis is fast becoming an industry leader in advanced semiconductor cooling solutions to address the thermal bottleneck.”
Corintis' Technology and Future Outlook
Corintis's technology includes Glacierware, software to automate cooling system design; a copper-based manufacturing facility for cold plates; and the Therminator platform, which simulates next-generation chips to validate cooling solutions. Their microfluidic platform is designed to adapt to the specific layout of each chip, optimizing coolant flow to critical regions. As AI adoption accelerates and data centers grapple with increasing power demands, companies like Corintis are poised to play a critical role in redefining the infrastructure of AI computing.
