Carbice orbits Earth in satellites, drives CPU performance and extends the lifespan of electronics. What can it do with the power of Purdue University?
All the electronics powering modern life produce a lot of heat and, just like in the old, overheated computer we all know, high temperatures can cause major issues. Carbice has a cool solution they’re applying on a world-changing scale: carbon nanotubes.
Carbice, now a Purdue Strategic Ventures portfolio company, makes the nanometer-sized products which are among the most thermally conductive structures. By aligning billions of nanotubes to form a highway, heat moves from the hot to the cold side, allowing the hot air to dissipate. Keeping electronics cooler extends their lifespan and creates fewer instances of stress leading to mechanical failures.
Baratunde Cola
Even more powerful: Carbice’s nanotubes don’t have a shelf life and are the only interface material that can be fully recycled. “Carbice isn’t just a technical solution, it’s a critical supply chain solution,” CEO and Founder Baratunde Cola said. Products vital to national security and everyday life — such as semiconductors — risk significant disruption due to long global supply chains. “We’re proud to innovate industry with supply chain risk reduction.”
Cola received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University. (He also met his wife in the chemistry department.) Since graduating, he has made it his mission to address the technological and logistic hurdles of keeping electronics from aerospace to defense and beyond cool enough for optimal function.
Carbon nanotubes have proved highly successful.
Carbice raised $15 million during its Series A funding round held in November 2020. The company also recently signed a historic agreement with Dow to provide a multi-generational thermal interface material (TIM) product offering for high-performing electronics in the mobility, industrial, and consumer industries, as well as semiconductors.
Carbice is currently in a Series B funding round. Purdue Strategic Ventures, which invests in venture-scale startups at Purdue Research Foundation, recently announced its participation. “Carbice is an incredibly promising venture-scale, Purdue-connected company,” said Chief Innovation and Collaboration Officer and Purdue Strategic Ventures leader David Broecker. “The company is led by an incredible Purdue alum, building a scalable business around strategically important technology he started researching as a PhD student. We are excited about the commercial potential of Baratunde’s company and proud of his Purdue roots.”
The Series B fundraising will unlock Carbice’s go-to-market efforts outside their current focus sectors, aerospace and defense. Cola highlights this expansion with an eye toward enabling data center cooling and power, where devices frequently only operate at 70% of their potential to try to extend the life of the existing materials. With carbon nanotubes mitigating excessive heat, Cola explains, those devices can operate closer to 100% without fear of failure. The company already has key customers data centers evaluating their products and they continue to grow a pipeline of interest.
Carbice exists at the cutting edge of innovation, changing how industry approaches heat. With the support of Purdue and other strategic partnerships, Carbice’s revolutionary carbon nanotubes pave the way for extending the lifespan of critical devices and accelerating innovation across industry.
To keep up with Carbice and understand the science and engineering that power the world around us, follow their LinkedIn. You can also follow Baratunde Cola on LinkedIn.
About Carbice
Founded in 2011, Carbice is an Atlanta, Georgia-based company that develops scalable interface solutions to protect the performance of semiconductors and electrical components from heat and stress in any physical environment. From simulation to manufacturing to implementation, Carbice partners with companies in the automotive, consumer electronics, aerospace and defense, data center, networking, and energy systems sectors to enable innovation, drive system cost reduction, and lengthen electronic lifespan. With its class of sustainably manufactured, reliable, easy-to-use, and affordable solutions, Carbice is leveraging aligned carbon nanotube technology to create a future where all electronics are protected from overheating.
About Purdue Research Foundation
Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Established in 1930, the foundation accepts gifts; administers trusts; funds scholarships and grants; acquires and sells property; protects and licenses Purdue’s intellectual property; and supports creating Purdue-connected startups on behalf of Purdue. The foundation operates Purdue Innovates which includes the Office of Technology Commercialization and Incubator. The foundation manages the Purdue Research Park, Discovery Park District, Purdue Technology Centers and Purdue for Life Foundation.
For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Office of Technology Commercialization at otcip@prf.org. For more information about involvement and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact Purdue Innovates at purdueinnovates@prf.org.
Media contact: Polly Barks, phbarks@prf.org
