TDK Ventures has invested in C2i Semiconductors as part of C2i’s $16.7 million Series A round, with participation from Peak XV Partners and unnamed semiconductor industry leaders. The deal puts new funding behind C2i’s software-defined voltage regulator platform, which targets the “last-inch” of AI data center power delivery where low-voltage, high-current distribution into GPUs and accelerators can drive losses and heat.
C2i’s platform centers on a software-defined voltage regulator (VR) approach it says is designed to adapt to changes in the power delivery network (PDN) and processor requirements. The platform includes a “Manas Controller” (a software-defined controller), a “Sarayu Power Stage” (a power stage the company says offers better conversion efficiency and “6x the reliability”), and a modular architecture intended to scale phase count for higher-current applications.
On projected performance, C2i puts its power conversion efficiency at over 96%, compared with 94% for incumbent solutions. It also projects processors running up to 4° C cooler, and it estimates that in a 100 MW AI data center the combined effect of higher efficiency and reduced heat could save about $12 million annually in energy costs.
The engineering challenge here is simple and brutal: as accelerator power climbs, every percentage point of conversion efficiency and every incremental thermal gain shows up in rack-level cooling demand and facility power overhead. But these figures are projections, and operators will want to see how the platform performs under real transient loads, at high phase counts, and across the operating envelope modern AI clusters actually hit.
“By making the power conversion more efficient, C2i is solving one of the most critical thermal and efficiency constraints of the AI era,” said Nicolas Sauvage, President of TDK Ventures. C2i co-founder and CEO Ram Anant said, “Partnering with TDK Ventures provides us with deep insights into advanced passives and access to a global ecosystem that will accelerate our path to mass production.”
Source: TDK Ventures
