Orbital Industries raises $50M Series B for AI-designed data-centre hardware

What happened

Orbital Industries, an AI-materials startup based in London and San Francisco, secured $50 million in a Series B funding round. The round was led by Plural, with additional backing from Nvidia’s NVentures, Radical Ventures, Compound, and Fly Ventures. Orbital Industries, formerly Orbital Materials, develops modular high-density compute infrastructure that uses a PFAS-free cooling fluid. This technology aims to improve data center hardware through AI-designed materials.

Why it matters

Data centers face constant pressure to become more energy efficient and sustainable while handling increasing compute density. Cooling is a major pain point and cost driver. Orbital’s cooling fluid is PFAS-free, addressing growing environmental concerns tied to traditional chemicals used in data center cooling. Their modular compute infrastructure design promises easier scaling and potentially lower operational costs by improving hardware efficiency. The involvement of industry heavyweight Nvidia signals confidence in Orbital’s approach, especially as AI workloads intensify demand for efficient compute solutions.

What to watch next

Watch for how Orbital Industries deploys this funding to move from prototype to commercial-scale production. Adoption by cloud operators and hyperscalers could pressure competitors relying on older cooling methods or less modular hardware. Nvidia’s investment may also hint at tighter integration potential with AI hardware stacks. Finally, regulatory scrutiny on PFAS substances is increasing globally; any push toward safer cooling fluids could trigger new standards in data center operations. Orbital’s progress could redefine cost and sustainability metrics for data center design.

AI Quick Briefs Editorial Desk