A Seattle startup is developing processor chips that could dramatically reduce the energy consumption of artificial intelligence systems using nanomagnetic technology that requires less power than traditional semiconductors.
TriMagnetix recently secured $200,000 in funding from climate-focused venture fund SNØCAP to develop chips that use electrical pulses rather than constant power supply, potentially cutting electricity usage and heat output in data centers.
The technology addresses growing concerns about AI’s environmental impact as U.S. data centers are expected to more than double their energy consumption over the next decade. Current AI workloads strain facilities through both power demands and water use for cooling systems.
“What we’re doing is a totally different paradigm,” said Madison Hanberry, co-founder and head of R&D at TriMagnetix. “There are intellectual and capital barriers. For most semiconductor companies, it doesn’t make sense to chase this kind of technology right now.”
The company faces significant challenges competing against established chip manufacturers and conventional designs. However, Hanberry’s team is betting on nanomagnets, a technology gaining attention in research circles and recently highlighted in the journal Nano Futures.
Hanberry’s background in nanomagnetics dates to his undergraduate work at Georgia State University, where he researched under physicist Alexander Kozhanov, now a technical advisor to TriMagnetix.
Launched in 2023, the startup takes its name from its triangular nanomagnetic chip architecture. The founding team includes Hanberry’s sister, Aspen White, and three software engineers who remain unnamed due to employment with other companies.
To avoid expensive fabrication infrastructure, TriMagnetix is partnering with the Washington Nanofabrication Facility at the University of Washington to prototype its chips. Hanberry estimates a working prototype could be ready within six to eight months.
“We want to show it’s possible to build a silicon-class chip on a shoestring,” he said. “There’s a perception that chip startups need massive infrastructure to get started. We’re challenging that.”
Jonathan Azoff, general partner at SNØCAP, said the investment aligns with backing practical environmental solutions.
“TriMagnetix’s breakthrough means more computing power doesn’t have to mean more energy use,” Azoff said. “We’re looking at this as a smarter, more efficient way to rethink computing from the ground up.”
Beyond data centers, the company sees applications in aerospace due to the chip’s radiation resistance, and consumer electronics like AR and VR wearables where low heat output proves beneficial.
