Jetcool is a company that designs and manufactures liquid cooling solutions for compute-intensive and high-density deployments. Pulse 2.0 interviewed JetCool CEO Dr. Bernie Malouin to learn more about the company.
Malouin’s Background And Formation Of The Company
What is Malouin’s background, and how did the idea for the company come together? Malouin said:
“During my time at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, a group of engineers and I noticed a gap in status quo liquid cooling solutions, leading us to spend five years developing, refining, and patenting a next-generation liquid cooling technology that uses microjet impingement. The core of the technology was originally designed for use in aerospace applications, but we quickly realized the tech could be useful in a wide range of applications, spanning computing and data centers. With approximately 1% of the planet’s electricity being used just to cool data centers, I thought, why don’t we take this technology and use it for something bigger which led to the project dubbed “’Project JETS.’”
“In 2019, I formed JetCool as a spin-off from MIT to address more global and environmental issues stemming from cooling data centers. The JetCool team started introducing high-performance cooling to new application areas, working with leading innovators worldwide to transform next-generation product development, focusing on improving computing efficiency and performance, and continuing to evolve as a company. Initially, we specialized in creating custom cooling solutions. Now, we have shifted our focus toward standardized products to cater to today’s most pressing computing needs, particularly aiming to drive performance and efficiency in data centers.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Malouin explained:
“JetCool has developed a patented microjet impingement liquid cooling technology, called microconvective liquid cooling. Our product portfolio includes direct-to-chip liquid cooling modules, advanced microconvective cold plates, and self-contained liquid cooling systems optimized to fit within a server. At its core, this technology utilizes microjets to target hot spots with pinpoint accuracy on the latest chipsets, maximizing heat extraction and allowing for enhanced thermal performance, about 3-5X better performance over microchannel cold plates.”
1.) Cold Plates (SmartPlate): Our cold plates are compatible with any of today’s liquid cooling infrastructure. As mentioned before, our cold plates enable up to 5X lower thermal resistance compared to microchannel cold plates and cool the latest and next-gen chipsets, over 1,500W in a single processor socket.
2.) Self-contained liquid cooling (SmartPlate System): For environments seeking a more plug-and-play solution, we have engineered a self-contained liquid cooling solution, available through Dell. This solution has the same footprint as an air-cooled server but cools up to 850W in a 1U and 1,200W in a 2U with no piping or plumbing required. It’s a great way to get many of the performance and sustainability benefits of liquid cooling, without having to make investments in facility upgrades.
Evolution Of JetCool’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Malouin shared:
“We have been capturing the attention of some prominent tech leaders, including OEMs and hyperscalers, providing an advanced liquid cooling solution for compute-intensive workloads spanning generative AI, healthcare, and finance. JetCool’s liquid cooling modules not only enable 30% more compute but also promote sustainability, reducing energy consumption by 15% and nearly eliminating water usage compared to air cooling.”
“In May, we debuted our SmartPlate System for Dell’s PowerEdge servers. SmartPlate System customers can deploy liquid cooling, run the latest Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA chipsets at full workload – all without the typical piping and plumbing associated with liquid cooling deployments. Customers can run servers in hot environments, over 35C, while also saving up to 4kW per rack by halving fan speed, enabling customers to run in power-constrained facilities.”
“SmartPlate System eliminates the need for ancillary liquid cooling infrastructure and accelerates liquid cooling adoption for customers who do not have access to water lines or want to keep their existing server facilities.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Malouin cited:
“We continue to scale quickly, fueled by recent investment. In May 2023, we were selected to receive $1.2M in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The funding is part of the ARPA-E COOLERCHIPS program, which aims to develop high-performance, energy-efficient cooling solutions for data centers. By utilizing our patented microconvective cooling® technology, the energy and cost associated with cooling data centers can be significantly reduced. This technology can help save 11.1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and 150 billion liters of water per year, while also preventing 35 million metric tons of CO2 emissions around the world through widespread deployment. Our selection for DOE’s COOLERCHIPS program is a significant milestone for the company and demonstrates our commitment to become an industry leader in liquid cooling solutions for data centers.”
“Late last year, we also announced the closure of a $17 million Series A funding round. Led by Bosch Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of the Bosch Group, the investment round includes participation from leading technology investors such as In-Q-Tel, Raptor Group, and Schooner Capital. The funds will be used to fuel global growth and further expand the company’s roadmap of next-generation liquid cooling solutions to match the growing demand for AI and high-density computing. This investment comes at a time of intensifying demand for AI and high-density chips, where effective cooling solutions have become paramount. In the era of AI-driven applications and dense chip architectures, our patented microconvective liquid cooling® technology is essential for addressing overheating, enhancing performance, and prolonging the lifespan of computing systems, ensuring they operate at their peak potential without compromising on efficiency or durability.”
Customer Success Stories
After asking Malouin about customer success stories, he highlighted:
“JetCool cold plates, called SmartPlates, are deployed at federal labs today, where we’re improving efficiency, running servers with coolant temperatures up to 130°F and no water consumption, eliminating the use of its evaporative cooler, and saving 90% in water usage per year. Processors over 1,000W TDP also become feasible with this cooling approach.”
“Our self-contained solutions are deployed today at colocations where they are seeing 14% less electricity being used in their compute racks. These self-contained solutions are also deployed at financial institutions across the US where they are cooling the latest chipsets at ambient temperatures over 35C.”
Funding
After asking Malouin about the company’s funding information, he revealed:
“We recently announced the successful closing of a $17 million Series A funding round led by Bosch Ventures, the corporate venture capital company of Bosch Group. The investment round includes participation from blue-chip technology investors such as IQT, with all current investors reaffirming their confidence in the company. The funds will be used to fuel global growth and further expand the company’s roadmap of next-generation liquid cooling solutions to match the growing demand for AI and high-density computing. This investment is a testament to the need for innovative liquid cooling solutions to go hand and hand with the growing demand and allows JetCool to continue creating sustained advancements in device efficiency, performance, reliability, and sustainability for data centers, HPCs, and semiconductors. As a privately held company, we do not disclose financial information including revenue.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Malouin assessed:
“According to Persistence Market Research, the global data center liquid cooling market is rapidly growing; it accounted for $2.25 billion in 2021 and is predicted to surge at a CAGR of 25.8% to reach a valuation of $31.07 billion by 2032. The market has seen a steady increase as the rise in AI platforms and complex data chip designs call for an urgent need to address increasing heat, power, and water consumption in data centers.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Malouin affirmed:
“JetCool specializes in single-phase direct-to-chip liquid cooling solutions that leverage microjet impingement technology. This method stands in sharp contrast to other technologies such as immersion cooling, which involves submerging components in dielectric oils, and two-phase dielectric cooling, which relies on boiling specialized chemicals. While these methods have their own benefits, they also face significant challenges. For instance, standard immersion cooling is not effective for high-power chipsets, critical for generative AI and performance computing. Two-phase cooling, despite its higher power capacity, is increasingly problematic due to its dependence on PFAS fluids, which are subject to strict regulatory scrutiny over safety concerns.
JetCool’s approach presents some compelling advantages. First, it’s more efficient in energy usage; unlike methods that cool the entire chip, our technology targets the hotspots, leading to significant energy savings. Second, it’s a more sustainable option, eliminating water consumption and utilizing fluids safe for human contact. Lastly, it excels in cooling performance, handling chips with TDPs exceeding 1,500W, outperforming both immersion cooling and microchannel cold plates. Our patented microconvective liquid cooling technology not only uses 50% less cooling energy compared to immersion cooling but also enables 40% improved performance over microchannel cold plates, establishing it as a more effective and efficient alternative in the competitive landscape of liquid cooling.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Malouin concluded:
“We have exciting plans coming this year for global expansion. We are looking forward to an even bigger impact by extending our reach into the EMEA and APAC markets where performance computing and sustainability are a big driver of business operations.”
