Startup Raises $27 Million To Solve Two Massive Data Center Problems

InnovationConsumer TechStartup Raises $27 Million To Solve Two Massive Data Center ProblemsByJohn Koetsier,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Journalist, analyst, author, podcaster.Follow AuthorJun 15, 2026, 11:32am EDTData centers are one of the most controversial new builds today. They're also constrained by access to power.AFP via Getty ImagesGreen energy infrastructure startup TAR has just raised a $27 million seed round to provide scalable on-site plug-and-play power infrastructure to data centers with a heavy emphasis on renewable power, Forbes has learned in an exclusive. Given the current state of the public debate around data centers, the technology can’t come soon enough.“We are building modular, scalable, behind-the-meter energy systems consisting of solar, batteries, wind energy and (for emergencies / long periods of unfavorable weather conditions) simple cycle gas turbines,” co-founder Pat Becker told me via email. “The main premise is being able to provide power 24/7 without relying on the grid at low cost, minimal environmental impact and extremely fast.”That’s a potential step forward on a number of different levels.The first is power supply for AI providers. At the recent NY Tech Week, prediction startup Principle ran a simulation of the enterprise AI market. In 110 of 123 possible futures, lack of power was the main constraint on growth: not lacking the right chips, not failing to develop the right models … just lack of power. Global demand for power is set to grow 50% faster than the previous decade, says the International Energy Agency, and China’s green energy revolution has allowed the country to add 543 gigawatts of power capacity – more than the total capacity added by the U.S. in its entire history – in 2024 alone, according to the IEEE.That’s an issue for global competitiveness in AI.But at the same time, data centers are becoming one of the most controversial new builds, and for go...