TAR, a startup building off-grid power systems for data centers, secured $120 million in Series A funding led by Spark Capital. The round values the company at approximately $1 billion.
Spark Capital, known for backing AI developer Anthropic, is leading the investment in TAR's technology designed to power data center operations independently of traditional grid infrastructure.
The funding reflects growing demand for alternative power solutions as data centers consume increasing amounts of electricity to support AI and cloud computing workloads. Off-grid systems address both energy reliability and sustainability concerns for operators.
TAR's Series A brings the startup to unicorn status, indicating investor confidence in the market for distributed, independent power generation systems. The capital will likely support product development, scaling manufacturing, and expanding sales operations as data center operators seek alternatives to grid-dependent infrastructure.
The investment signals Spark Capital's continued focus on infrastructure supporting AI infrastructure beyond software development.
Paris-based Arlequin AI secured €28M in Series A funding co-led by redalpine and OTB to advance its proprietary topological neural network models and accelerate AI tool deployment.
Venture capital is surging back into speculative deep technology sectors like brain-computer interfaces, riding momentum from the AI boom. Dealroom data shows non-AI deeptech funding has exceeded $150 billion since the start of 2024.