Data Center Innovation Initiative Grant
In context
This call is open to startups, at prototype and pilot stage, pre-seed and seed stage. Funding is a grant of Up to $5,000,000. Coverage is read from the notice itself: United States and any country.
This grant funds technology startups developing next-generation energy, materials, and cooling innovations for data center infrastructure, with investments of $500K–$5M per project through 2027. Eligible technologies are tested in real data centers or demonstration sites in partnership with major cloud providers (Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft).
About this grant
Elemental Excelerator, a nonprofit investor, launched the Data Center Innovation Initiative with Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft to accelerate deployment of next-generation technologies for more sustainable infrastructure. The initiative sits within Elemental's broader model of providing catalytic capital and specialized expertise to first-of-a-kind and early commercial climate projects that face market failures. Through the initiative, Elemental aims to back entrepreneurs building technologies that make data center infrastructure more sustainable. Support follows Elemental's four-pronged approach: catalytic capital that fills funding gaps and de-risks projects, project expertise including coaching on policy engagement, workforce development and raising project capital, local partnerships, and investor mobilization to connect entrepreneurs with investors, project funders, and customers. The page does not specify grant amounts, application mechanics, or detailed activity lists for this initiative beyond the announcement that it is designed to accelerate deployment of next-generation technologies for more sustainable infrastructure.
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Eligibility
Elemental invests in exceptional entrepreneurs solving environmental challenges. The page indicates applications are made through an 'Apply for funding' route, but the Data Center Innovation Initiative's specific eligibility requirements (organisation type, stage, geography) are not stated on this page.
Key requirements
- ✓Technology must address next-generation energy, materials, or cooling for data center infrastructure
- ✓Project must be testable in existing data centers or demonstration sites (partnership with Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft)
- ✓Startup must be selected as one of up to 10 portfolio companies through 2027
- ✓Focus on technologies that reduce data center energy consumption and carbon footprint
Frequently asked questions
- How much funding does Elemental Excelerator offer?
- Data Center Innovation Initiative offers up to $5M.
- Who can apply for Data Center Innovation Initiative?
- Eligibility covers organisations in US, GLOBAL; startup. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.
Relevant sectors
How this compares
- Compared with 17 similar grants (efficiency in United States) listed in the last 12 months.
- This is the only similar grant from this organisation listed here in the last 12 months.
- We hold 73 past awards from this funder; recent recipients include MOLG INC (2025), NORIA ENERGY HOLDINGS (2025), PROJECT VESTA (2025).
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About this sector
Energy efficiency funding covers building retrofits, industrial process upgrades, heat recovery, efficient equipment and demand reduction. It arrives as grants for audits and capital works, as support schemes run by agencies and utilities or as public tenders for retrofit and energy services. Applicants usually need a baseline of current energy use and a measured saving.
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