New active liquid cooling cuts peak processor heat to save legacy data centers

Global electronics and connectivity leader Molex is investing in CAEPlus, a thermal management startup, to advance an active liquid cooling platform designed to handle the rising heat generated by next-generation AI and high-performance computing systems. The funding will help CAEPlus develop BoundaryCool, a system that pulls heat away from graphics processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), and tensor processing units (TPUs) using active liquid cooling. Unlike passive cold plates, it actively moves heat away from the chips while being designed to work with existing data center infrastructure. BoundaryCool takes a different approach from conventional passive cold plates by using an active cooling architecture to enhance heat removal at the chip level. The technology is being developed for data centers where increasingly powerful processors are pushing thermal management systems to their limits. The deal also strengthens Molex’s broader thermal management strategy as demand grows for more efficient cooling solutions in high-density computing infrastructure. Cooling chips at higher loads Molex said the BoundaryCool platform is being developed to deliver significantly higher heat-transfer performance and greater reductions in processor temperatures compared with passive cold plate solutions. The technology is also designed to remain compatible with older data center architectures, potentially allowing operators to upgrade cooling without rebuilding entire facilities. “Advanced thermal management is becoming a critical enabler for the next wave of compute performance,” said Jairo Guerrero, VP and GM, Copper Solutions Business, Molex. “Our strategic investment in CAEPlus reflects Molex’s commitment to supporting innovations in liquid cooling while working with emerging technology leaders to help customers address rapidly evolving AI and compute-intensive data center requirements.” The funding will help CAEPlus continue developing and validating BoundaryCool, while Molex contributes engineering expertise and experience in scaling hardware technologies. CAEPlus was founded to address changing cooling requirements in data centers as processor power and heat density continue to increase. “CAEPlus was founded to address the rapid pace of change in data center cooling requirements by enabling an entirely new class of active liquid cooling solutions,” said Milad Bashirzadeh, founder and CEO, CAEPlus, Inc. “In addition to its investment, Molex brings deep engineering expertise and a strong track record of helping scale innovative technologies. We are excited to work together in advancing our proprietary cooling technology and meet unrelenting industry requirements for higher levels of performance and efficiency.” Expanding thermal management As part of the agreement, Molex will retain exclusive licensing rights to apply CAEPlus technology to its portfolio of pluggable I/O solutions. This gives Molex another way to incorporate active cooling into components used in high-density computing environments. For CAEPlus, the investment provides funding and access to Molex’s engineering capabilities as it moves BoundaryCool toward commercialization. For Molex, the partnership expands its thermal management portfolio as data centers demand new ways to control heat from increasingly powerful computing hardware. The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the investment. Molex said the collaboration will focus on advancing BoundaryCool for next-generation AI and HPC data centers, where managing heat is becoming increasingly important to maintaining computing performance. Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.With over a decade-long career in journalism, Neetika Walter has worked with The Economic Times, ANI, and Hindustan Times, covering politics, business, technology, and the clean energy sector. Passionate about contemporary culture, books, poetry, and storytelling, she brings depth and insight to her writing. When she isn’t chasing stories, she’s likely lost in a book or enjoying the company of her dogs.