TDK Corporation (TSE: 6762) has announced that its investment arm, TDK Ventures, has invested in C2i Semiconductors as part of the company’s $16.7 million Series A funding round focused on AI data center power delivery technologies.
The funding round also included participation from Peak XV Partners and other semiconductor industry investors.
According to the companies, the investment addresses one of the emerging infrastructure challenges in AI computing — efficient power delivery for increasingly power-hungry GPUs and AI accelerators.
Industry estimates suggest global data center electricity demand could approach 1,000 terawatt-hours annually by 2030 as AI workloads continue to expand. At the same time, the power requirements of next-generation AI processors are expected to increase sharply, creating thermal and efficiency bottlenecks in existing server architectures.
The companies noted that NVIDIA’s H100 GPU launched in 2022 required around 700W of power, while future AI processors later in the decade could consume as much as 4,500W.
Founded in 2024 by former Texas Instruments engineers, C2i Semiconductors is developing software-defined voltage regulator platforms aimed at improving “grid-to-core” power delivery efficiency in AI infrastructure.
According to the company, its technology includes the Manas Controller, a software-defined voltage regulator controller designed to adapt to changing processor and power delivery network requirements.
C2i has also developed the Sarayu Power Stage, which the company says delivers improved conversion efficiency and higher reliability compared with conventional voltage regulator architectures.
The company added that its modular scalability approach enables support for higher-current AI workloads and future voltage regulator designs required for large-scale AI deployments.
According to C2i, its platform is projected to achieve more than 96% power conversion efficiency, compared with around 94% efficiency in existing solutions.
The company estimates that these efficiency gains, combined with lower thermal output, could generate annual energy savings of approximately $12 million in a 100MW AI data center. The technology is also expected to reduce processor operating temperatures by up to 4°C.
Nicolas Sauvage said the expansion of AI infrastructure is creating demand for innovation in semiconductor power delivery and thermal management technologies.
Ram Anant said the partnership with TDK Ventures would support the company’s efforts to accelerate commercialization and scale production capabilities.
