ABB Invests in AI-Powered Data Center Cooling Firm OctaiPipe
December 4, 2025
As the global data center industry grapples with soaring energy consumption driven by artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, optimizing cooling infrastructure has become a critical frontier for sustainability and cost control. In a strategic move to address this challenge, Swiss industrial technology leader ABB has announced a minority investment in OctaiPipe, a UK-based firm specializing in AI-driven data center cooling optimization.
The investment, finalized in early December 2025, will see ABB's Motion Services division partner with OctaiPipe to supply integrated solutions to data center operators. The core of the partnership is OctaiPipe's proprietary platform, which utilizes advanced AI techniques including federated learning, multi-agent reinforcement learning, and digital twin modeling. This technology enables real-time, on-site adjustments to cooling systems while maintaining strict safety and compliance standards, a design choice that prioritizes data control and operational scalability for clients.
The collaboration aims to deliver substantial energy savings and enhance operational resilience for data center clients. Ankush Gulati, Energy Efficiency Program Lead at ABB Motion Services, emphasized the urgency of such innovations, stating, "Energy efficiency is key to ensuring industries can outrun, leaner, and cleaner. It's a must, not a plus." He highlighted the scale of the opportunity, noting that by 2030, the U.S. economy is predicted to consume more electricity for data processing than for manufacturing all energy-intensive goods combined.
For OctaiPipe, the partnership with a global industrial giant like ABB provides a significant channel for scaling its technology. Eric Topham, CEO and co-founder of OctaiPipe, described the platform's role: "Think of our federated learning platform as an orchestra conductor, smartly adjusting the performance of the cooling system based on what's actually needed." He added that joining forces with ABB enables data center operators to "future-proof their infrastructure and thrive in a rapidly evolving market."
This investment is part of ABB's broader push into the digital infrastructure sector. In recent months, the company has signed several major agreements, including a deal with Texas-based microgrid developer VoltaGrid to supply power equipment for U.S. data centers supporting AI workloads. The OctaiPipe deal signals a deepening focus on the software and AI layer of infrastructure management, positioning ABB to offer a more comprehensive suite of solutions for energy-intensive data centers.
Source: datacenterdynamics
