VoltServer’s Digital Electricity gets $7.4 Million Series A Funding
VoltServer, the inventor of a new form of power called Digital Electricity™, announced today that it has raised a $7.4 million Series A, supported by Alphabet's Sidewalk Labs. The funding will allow VoltServer to expand its Digital Electricity™ (DE) offerings at scale, powering the digitally connected world in a safer, more cost effective and efficient way than traditional ac and dc electricity.
DE is made up of discrete packets of energy and data and efficiently runs on cables that are thin, safe, inexpensive, flexible and data-enabled, making DE a well-suited powering solution for complex and evolving infrastructure systems. With enough power to energize a hi-rise or a football stadium, VoltServer's technology is already installed in over 700 venues, and will continue to expand its offerings beyond communications infrastructure to power entire buildings.
"There has not been much innovation around electricity since Tesla and Edison battled it out in the late 1800s," said Stephen Eaves, CEO of VoltServer. "But Digital Electricity™ allows for controlled power distribution that is safe, less expensive, faster to install, more energy efficient, and perfect for an increasingly digital world. At scale, VoltServer's technology will make buildings less expensive to construct, operate, and change over time."
Voltserver is aiming to commercialize the distribution of electricity in natively digital format. The technology combines energy and data into energy packets and transfers hundreds of packets each second from a VoltServer transmitter unit to a receiver unit. The transmitter verifies the transfer of each packet. If there is improper wiring, a short circuit, or a person is touching the transmission lines, the transmitter recognizes the condition in 0.003 seconds and will not send any more energy packets.
The result is touch-safe electrical transmission at high power levels and an inherent ability to digitally control a host of modern electronic devices connected to the distribution system.
Digital Electricity™ implementation (click on image to enlarge)
Summary of Features:
- Safe power where / when / how it is needed
- 20x power, 20x distances vs. PoE+ & "analog" line powering
- Speed-to-deployment; speed-to-change; flexibility
- Cost-effective (no conduit, faster install, less copper)
- Centrally back-up critical communications, apps, lights …
- Green: less copper; less electricity used, more efficient / less heat; solar, battery and fuel-cell support
- Multi-device, multi-service, multi-vendor
- Power: mobile radios (DAS / Small Cell / Macro,) routers, servers, WiFi APs, ONTs, PoE switches, media converters, servers, smart LEDs, pumps, smart displays, HVAC, and so on.
- Re-use, move or re-deploy with no stranded outlets / conduit / cable
With its investment, Sidewalk Labs joins Marker Hill Capital, Slater Technology Fund, Natural Resources Capital Management, Clean Energy Venture Group, Angel Street Capital and Consiton Capital in recognizing the potential of Digital Electricity™.
"Electricity powers our world, but the fundamental danger inherent in AC or DC electricity makes today's electrical systems expensive to install or change. Digital Electricity™ is a breakthrough, offering a less expensive, safer and more efficient way to distribute electricity that can make buildings more affordable and flexible. Over time, that can make cities more affordable, sustainable, and adaptable as our needs change," Dan Doctoroff, chairman and CEO of Sidewalk Labs said.
VoltServer currently offers DE for Mobile Radio Power, Power over Ethernet (PoE) Switch Power, Mobile Edge Compute Servers, High Speed Communications Power, Smart LED Lighting Power, UPS/Centralized Battery Backup, and DC Microgrid.
