TL;DR
- Yplasma, a startup spun out of Spain’s space agency INTA, is developing plasma-based cooling actuators with no moving parts.
- Their lightweight, low-power devices are being tested for chip cooling, and data center applications are in focus.
- Backed by Faber and SOSV, Yplasma raised $2.5 million and is operating out of SOSV’s HAX lab in Newark and Madrid offices.
- The startup’s technology also shows promise for wind turbine optimization, aerospace, and climate control systems.
A Magic Trick — Powered by Plasma
When David Garcia, co-founder and CEO of Yplasma, demonstrated his company’s core technology to TechCrunch, it looked deceptively like a party trick. A device no larger than a harmonica extinguished a row of candles using invisible airflow — not from a fan, but from plasma actuators.
These actuators are essentially two strips of copper charged with electric current that ionize surrounding air, generating a directional stream of airflow — with zero moving parts. The entire system is paper-thin, lightweight, and remarkably energy efficient.
“It’s cheap to manufacture, is very thin, so it fits everywhere, and also consumes very little energy,” said Garcia.
Yplasma in Focus
| Metric | Detail |
| Headquarters | Madrid, Spain & Newark, NJ |
| R&D Origin | INTA – Spain’s National Institute of Aerospace Technology |
| Funding Raised | $2.5 million seed (2025) |
| Key Investors | Faber, SOSV |
| Energy Efficiency vs Fan | 1W (Yplasma) vs 3–4W (traditional fan) |
| Initial Target Market | Wind turbines |
| Emerging Market Focus | Semiconductor cooling, data centers |
| US Pilot Project | Sandia National Laboratories – summer 2025 |
| R&D Facility | HAX Lab, Newark |
From Wind to Wafers: Shifting Focus to Semiconductors
Initially, Yplasma targeted wind turbines, where improving airflow and de-icing blades can improve performance by up to 15%. However, after a successful pilot with a major chipmaker, the company shifted focus to the semiconductor industry and data center cooling.
The need is clear: traditional fans consume more energy and occupy more space, while advanced solutions like liquid immersion cooling remain cost-prohibitive.
“There’s nothing between fans and liquid cooling or immersive cooling, and immersive and liquid cooling is super expensive,” said Garcia. “They’re hungry for cooling solutions.”
A High-Stakes Challenge: Cooling the Data Center Boom
Data centers — the backbone of everything from cloud computing to AI inference workloads — now spend 30% to 40% of their energy costs on cooling infrastructure, according to recent analysis by Uptime Institute.
With the rise of GPUs, TPUs, and high-density compute racks, traditional fan-based systems are hitting performance and spatial limits. Enter Yplasma’s actuator: quiet, low-power, non-mechanical, and ideal for tight rack configurations.
In real-world tests, the actuator demonstrated the ability to maintain thermal thresholds while using 66% less power than standard laptop fans.
Aerospace Origins, Deep Tech Execution
Yplasma was founded as a spinout from INTA, Spain’s aerospace research agency, which previously explored plasma tech for satellite propulsion and airflow control in aeronautics.
The startup secured its $2.5 million seed round from Faber and SOSV, the latter providing lab access at the HAX accelerator. The team will run advanced R&D at the Newark facility while maintaining product development out of Madrid.
Yplasma’s actuator has potential applications far beyond electronics cooling:
- Wind turbine efficiency optimization
- Aircraft de-icing systems
- Smart climate control and HVAC
- Water-from-air harvesting systems
- Satellite propulsion control surfaces
Testing with Sandia National Labs
Later this summer, Yplasma will run tests on wind turbine applications at the Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico. The tests will focus on aerodynamic drag reduction and anti-icing systems, validating the tech in real-world wind farm environments.
Garcia noted that in cold regions, icing causes up to 20% energy loss in turbines. With the actuators’ ability to generate both airflow and heat, the system could extend turbine uptime during inclement weather.
AI and HPC Make Cooling Even More Critical
With the AI boom fueling infrastructure investments from NVIDIA, OpenAI, and Amazon Web Services, demand for heat mitigation has never been higher. According to BloombergNEF, data center energy use could triple by 2030 — unless cooling technologies evolve.
Yplasma’s actuator could fill the gap between low-end fans and high-end immersion solutions, enabling tiered cooling strategies that combine efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
What’s Next for Yplasma?
Yplasma is actively:
- Finalizing integration pilot projects with semiconductor firms
- Running wind turbine testing with Sandia Labs
- Exploring strategic partnerships for data center implementation
- Expanding R&D with new hires in thermal engineering and computational fluid dynamics
Garcia confirmed the company is sustainable through its current seed funding and will evaluate Series A fundraising in early 2026 if deployment milestones are met.
