Nvidia Backs iPronics' $125M Fundraise for Data Center Switch Chips

iPronics, a Spanish startup based in Valencia, has secured $125 million in a Series B funding round to develop optical circuit switch chips for data centers. The investment was co-led by Maverick Silicon and Light Street Capital, with participation from Nvidia, Triatomic Capital, Bosch Ventures, Catalight Capital, and the European Innovation Council Fund.

The company aims to shrink its optical circuit switches (OCS) equipment 20-fold to fit more switches in a server rack. This is crucial for data centers that pack hundreds of thousands of chips, where hardware failures have become routine.

iPronics' OCS can quickly reroute around a chip that has burned out, allowing the network to 'basically rewire itself.' Daniel Pérez-López, founder and chief technical officer, noted that hardware failures are now occurring on a minute-by-minute scale.