모듈형 컴퓨팅 제공업체 루인은 태양광 발전 단지용 컴퓨팅 시스템을 출시하고, 재생에너지 설비 옆에 장비를 직접 설치하기 위해 시리즈 A 라운드에서 4천만 달러의 자금을 조달했다.

Modular data center developer Rune has launched a new modular compute system designed for direct installation at solar generation sites. Alongside the debut of the RELIC (Renewable Energy Linked Intelligent Compute) system, the company announced a $40 million Series A funding round led by Spark Capital, bringing its total capital raised to $53.5 million.

The system captures wasted energy generated by solar plants, which the company claims can represent up to 20 percent of total output. By tapping stranded electricity directly at the source, RELIC skips the meter, associated fees, and grid infrastructure—the primary bottleneck constraining data center buildouts across the country.

“Every solar plant is a latent data center. The power is already there, sitting idle while AI labs wait years for grid connections that may never come,” said William Layden, co-founder and CEO of Rune. “We built RELIC to close that gap with compute that’s online in days, powered by energy the grid was throwing away.” Rune states the solution can be installed within an hour and energized in as little as six weeks from contract signing. Running natively on direct current, the system eliminates AC conversion loss entirely.

As part of the launch, Rune confirmed it has deployed a RELIC unit at an operating solar facility in Texas, though the specific site remains undisclosed.

“Demand for AI infrastructure is growing faster than it can be delivered. Rune deploys compute directly behind the meter at operating solar farms, converting clean power into rapidly scalable AI capacity,” said Santo Politi, founder and general partner of Spark Capital. “Every renewable asset in operation becomes a potential deployment site. Rune is the fastest path to new capacity we have seen.” Founded in 2023 and based in California, Rune was established by co-founders William Layden and Varun Palivela.