Armada raises $230M at $2B valuation to build portable AI data centers

Armada Inc., a provider of portable data centers and satellite internet software, has raised $230 million in funding at a $2 billion valuation.

The company disclosed in its announcement of the raise today that BlackRock, Overmatch and 8090 Industries were the lead investors. They were joined by more than a half-dozen others, including Johnson Controls Inc., a major industrial equipment supplier. The company inked a manufacturing partnership with Armada as part of the deal.

Armada sells a line of portable data centers known as the Galleon series. The smallest system in the series, Beacon, is the size of a suitcase, while the largest can provide multiple megawatts of computing capacity. One megawatt corresponds to the power consumption of several thousand homes. 

The company ships its data centers in ruggedized containers that can withstand challenging temperatures, shocks and other adverse conditions. A suite of sensors embedded into each system’s casing enable customers to detect tempering attempts.

Galleon systems’ sturdy form factor enables them to operate in environments where it’s usually difficult to deploy AI infrastructure. According to Armada, they can be deployed in a few days and don’t require specialized power delivery infrastructure.

Johnson Controls, the industrial company that backed the startup’s funding round, also makes modular data centers. Additionally, it has a unit called Silent-Aire that produces air-cooling equipment for server rooms. Johnson Controls will help Armada build a 400,000-square-foot manufacturing facility dedicated to producing modular data centers. The companies plan to start production in the summer with an initial focus on Armada’s largest data center, a multi-megawatt system called Leviathan.

The company sells its infrastructure modules alongside a line of software products. One application, Marketplace, makes it possible to install third-party AI tools on Galleon systems. A platform called Bridge enables companies to monetize their AI infrastructure by renting out computing capacity to external users.

Armada’s software lineup is rounded out by an application called Atlas. It enables companies to purchase Starlink satellite internet terminals using Microsoft Azure credits. After the devices arrive, administrators can use Atlas to manage them and monitor usage.

An add-on aptly called Drones extends the platform with a set of features for managing unmanned aerial vehicles. According to Armada, the software can collect component health telemetry from UAVs and track their flight activity. A built-in AI assistant speeds up tasks such as creating maintenance schedules.

Armada’s products are used by organizations in the energy, telecommunications and defense sectors. The company disclosed today that it saw customer bookings more than quadruple in the past year. 

Image: Armada