Startup profile: Claros

  • Founded by: Dan Kultran and Grant Verstandig
  • Year founded: Emerged from stealth in 2025
  • Headquarters: McLean, VA
  • Sector: Energy management, manufacturing
  • Funding and valuation: $39.75 raised. Valuation undisclosed
  • Key ecosystem partners: Red Cell Partners, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation

A startup working to solve the data center energy problem just closed a $30 million seed round. 

Large data centers notoriously require massive amounts of energy, and thanks to a surge in development driven by the AI and cloud computing boom, are projected to account for 8% of US consumption by 2030. 

Claros, which emerged from stealth one year ago, is hoping to solve the crunch by building hardware and software that changes the way power is distributed to data centers. The Northern Virginia company is currently prototyping and testing two products in its Los Angeles lab.  

“We must reinvent the entire power system … so data centers can unlock greater efficiency and productivity,” 

Daniel Kultran, Claros

“To address these concerns, we must reinvent the entire power system with meaningful solutions,” said Claros cofounder and CEO Daniel Kultran, “that minimize energy waste so data centers can unlock greater efficiency and productivity,” 

The technology aims to allow data centers to easily tap into multiple energy sources, including renewables and the grid, by changing how electricity is routed. Claros is also creating “integrated voltage regulators,” or IVRs, to funnel power directly to chips in servers. Typically, that’s a multi-step process with conversions costing energy along the way. 

Data center growth can lead to higher electric bills for consumers as utility companies pay for new infrastructure and navigate increased demand. Claros’ tech aims to address that issue in streamlining how energy is funneled to servers, reducing waste. 

“Our IVR is only the starting point in our quest to help data centers more efficiently source, store, and use power end-to-end,” Kultran said. 

Building on its $9.75 million in initial funding, announced February 2025, Claros will use the new funds to hire more staff and expand its lab — the team is currently 26 people, and the plan is to bring on at least 10 people in the next year, investor Red Cell Partners’ director of communications Ryan Whittle told Technical.ly. Staff will be split between the Northern Virginia office and the lab in California. 

Current national security-focused investors General Catalyst and Red Cell Partners co-led the seed round, with participation from investors both existing and new, including Systemiq Capital, Aero X Ventures and Trenches Capital. The raise took about three months and was “easy,” per Whittle. 

The IVR product has one customer, and Claros is producing samples for it. Whittle declined to name the company. 

“The power infrastructure supporting AI is one of the most significant investment opportunities of our time,” said Paul Kwan, a managing director at General Catalyst. “Solving it requires rethinking the entire energy stack and a team with unique experience and technical depth to transform power management.”