GridCARE, a new company focused on addressing the urgent power demands of artificial intelligence infrastructure, has officially launched from stealth mode. Backed by a US$13.5 million oversubscribed Seed funding round led by Xora — a deep tech venture capital firm supported by Temasek — the company aims to fast-track power access for AI data centres by unlocking underused grid capacity.
Unlocking hidden capacity to meet AI’s power needs
As the global demand for AI computing continues to surge, energy requirements are projected to more than double by 2050. Yet while developers race to build new data centres, many remain unaware of untapped power reserves already available within the existing grid. GridCARE aims to address this mismatch through AI-driven solutions that identify and unlock these hidden capacities, cutting down the time it takes to power up large-scale infrastructure projects.
“Power is the new kingmaker in the AI arms race,” said Amit Narayan, CEO and Founder of GridCARE. “Companies that secure reliable energy fastest will dominate the next generation of AI. By serving as the bridge between AI infrastructure developers and utility companies, GridCARE gives our partners the critical speed advantage they need to win this race while strengthening energy resilience.”
Using generative AI to conduct in-depth geographical and temporal analysis, GridCARE is able to detect viable grid locations that can support large AI clusters. The company claims this can shorten the usual five to seven-year timeframe needed to access power down to just six to twelve months. This speed is a crucial advantage for data centre developers looking to deploy GPU and CPU infrastructure quickly.
Bridging the gap between utilities and data centres
GridCARE partners with some of the largest hyperscalers and AI data centre developers, streamlining the process of site identification and grid integration. It also works closely with utility providers such as Portland General Electric and Pacific Gas & Electric to better utilise existing infrastructure.
Larry Bekkedahl, Senior Vice President of Advanced Energy Delivery at Portland General Electric, explained, “The rise of AI presents the biggest new electricity demand surge we’ve seen in decades. Collaborating with GridCARE and using advanced planning tools enables Portland General Electric to make more informed and faster decisions in bringing this critical infrastructure online with confidence.”
Jason Glickman, Executive Vice President of Engineering, Planning, and Strategy at PG&E, added, “One of the most promising solutions to the increase in demand for power is to make smarter, more efficient use of the infrastructure we already have. GridCARE can help utilities unlock greater capacity from the existing grid, accelerating our ability to meet growing demand while benefiting all stakeholders, including our customers.”
Beyond simply enabling AI growth, GridCARE’s work with utilities also contributes to local economies through investment and job creation, while improving energy cost efficiency for consumers.
Strong backing and deep expertise
The Seed round saw participation from a wide range of investors, including Aina Climate AI Ventures, Sherpalo Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Discovery, Overture Ventures, WovenEarth, Acclimate Ventures, Clearvision, and Clocktower Ventures. Notable angel investors include Tom Steyer, Ram Shriram, Gokul Rajaram, Felix Zhang, Balaji Prabhakar, and Tarun Raisoni.
Peter Lim, Partner at Xora, shared, “GridCARE is solving one of the biggest bottlenecks to AI data centres today — access to scalable, reliable power. Led by seasoned entrepreneur Amit Narayan, the team brings deep domain expertise and has already demonstrated strong traction with utilities and hyperscalers. Their differentiated, execution-focused approach enables power at speed and at scale. At Xora, we’re proud to support this exceptional team as they address one of the most urgent infrastructure challenges of our time.”
GridCARE’s founding team includes Narayan, who previously launched Berkeley Design Automation and AutoGrid, alongside Ram Rajagopal, a Stanford professor specialising in AI for power systems; Liang Min, Executive Director at Stanford’s Bits & Watts initiative; and Arun Majumdar, inaugural Dean of Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and former VP of Energy at Google.
Yi Cui, Director of Stanford University’s Sustainability Accelerator, described GridCARE as “a great example of the kind of interdisciplinary innovation we aim to accelerate. By combining AI, energy systems, and sustainability, this team enables the infrastructure we need to meet the 21st century’s AI demand.”
