Former BP and Microsoft executives lead the full stack platform
GridFree AI, the latest company incubated by Montauk Climate, emerges with a novel end-to-end data center infrastructure solution that dramatically reduces development timelines. The company today announced it has raised $5 million in funding led by Giant Ventures, with participation from Amplo. GridFree AI is led by a former BP executive and a senior global leader from Microsoft.
A New Model for Rapid Data Center Deployment
At the core of GridFree AI’s innovation is the Power Foundry™ platform, which seamlessly integrates grid-independent power, battery storage, and cooling with data center infrastructure. This groundbreaking approach facilitates the rapid global expansion of AI and cloud computing systems, enabling the deployment of computing resources in previously inaccessible locations. The initial selected sites are situated in jurisdictions with favorable regulations, abundant natural gas, land, and fiber, all within proximity to carbon storage infrastructure to support net-zero operations.
A Leadership Team with Synergistic Strengths
GridFree AI was cofounded by Patrick Yantz, a former Global Edge Operations leader at Microsoft with over 25 years of hands-on experience in building, operating, and evolving hyperscale and modular data center infrastructure, and by Ralph Alexander, former Chairman and CEO of Talen Energy and former CEO of BP’s Global Gas, Power, and Renewables unit. The entire leadership team brings together unique expertise in energy systems integration, computing infrastructure, and harnesses unique cross-disciplinary expertise to transform innovative concepts into practical and scalable solutions designed for the AI era.
Patrick Yantz commented: “Our team unites the strengths of critical industries striving to address AI growth challenges to provide the comprehensive solutions our customers need. Our Power Foundry™ brings proven power and cooling industrialization and scale to the data center industry with unparalleled efficiency while maintaining familiar reliability and resiliency. This marks a new era for computing infrastructure, and we’re proud to lead the way.”
Power Foundry™ Platform Advantages
The Power Foundry™ platform accelerates compute revenue by 3-5 years vs. the grid. The platform is designed to deliver grid-independent computing infrastructure by converting natural gas into electricity and cooling with upwards of 90% efficiency, far surpassing 36% from the grid. Unlike the grid, Power Foundry™ delivers constant power and simplifies the building and maintenance of data centers, resulting in a 1/3 reduction in CAPEX and OPEX through the elimination of legacy infrastructure. The efficiency of the overall solution enables a 50% increase in available power for IT loads, enabling the deployment of more computing capacity and increasing the revenue potential of each data center. The platform is designed for flexibility, supporting both greenfield sites and expansions in areas with unreliable grid access, and is engineered for future integration with next-generation energy sources such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
Tommy Stadlen, Founding Partner at Giant Ventures, commented: “GridFree AI enables the century’s two great megatrends – AI and energy efficiency. US energy demand is surging for the first time in two decades. We urgently need energy efficient data centers that can roll out radically faster if the West is to win in the AI era. That’s why we’ve backed this uniquely experienced founding team.”
Modular, Transportable, and Data-Driven
GridFree AI’s team of seasoned experts seamlessly integrates industry modularization into their engineered solutions, enabling flexible deployment strategies on land or sea. Each installation generates operational data that feeds into the company’s optimization systems, creating a network effect that continuously enhances platform performance. Real-time optimization across deployments further boosts efficiency, setting GridFree AI apart from conventional solutions.
Philip Krim, Co-Founder and CEO of Montauk Climate, added: “At Montauk Climate, we recognize that the race to scale AI is ultimately a race to deliver the energy and infrastructure that powers it. We supported GridFree AI because their breakthrough platform combining advanced energy technologies with rapid, modular deployment meets the unprecedented demand for computing capacity. By uniting proven leaders from technology and energy, GridFree AI is uniquely positioned to deliver pragmatic, scalable solutions that enable AI’s growth.”
Growing Interest from Hyperscale Customers
GridFree AI is engaged in discussions with major industry players about potential partnerships as the need for rapid, flexible, and efficient computing capacity continues to rise. The company’s approach has been validated by organizations seeking to scale infrastructure quickly while retaining adaptability for future technology integration.
