Bristol-linked startup lands £600k for diamond chip coating
A startup working with University of Bristol researchers has secured more than £600,000 to develop technology aimed at cutting data centre energy waste.
HexSeed Technology is developing a method of applying ultra-thin diamond coatings to advanced electronic components used in data centre power systems.
Diamond is one of the world’s most effective heat-conducting materials, and the technology is intended to help components run cooler, more efficiently and for longer.
Managing heat has become one of the biggest challenges facing next-generation electronics as computing demands grow. Diamond offers a potential solution, but existing manufacturing methods require temperatures that would damage finished semiconductor components.
Working with University of Bristol professors Paul May, an expert in diamond materials, and Martin Kuball, a specialist in semiconductor devices and heat management, HexSeed is developing a low-carbon, low-temperature process intended to allow diamond coatings to be applied directly to completed gallium nitride (GaN) devices without damaging them.
The company’s first target market is power conversion hardware for hyperscale data centres, where energy demand is growing rapidly alongside advances in artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
The International Energy Agency predicts electricity demand from data centres could reach 945 TWh by 2030, driven largely by the expansion of AI-enabled facilities. GaN transistors offer efficiency advantages over conventional silicon devices, but managing the heat they generate remains a challenge.
Mark Tandy, chief executive and co-founder of HexSeed Technology, said: “Data centres are on track to consume a significant share of UK grid capacity within the decade, and a large proportion of that energy is lost as heat in power conversion. This funding will allow us to take our low-temperature diamond coating technology which we are developing from laboratory demonstration to working GaN devices.”
HexSeed was founded by Tandy, Dr Leonardo Santoni, chief technology officer, and Dr Michael Glerum, chief operating officer.
The funding round was led by Carbon13, with participation from Net Zero Technology Centre and Vento Ventures. It will be used to demonstrate the coating process on commercial GaN power devices and to support engagement with pilot customers. The investment also unlocks a Partnership Grant from Innovate UK, awarded on a provisional basis earlier this year.
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