Utilidata, a pioneer in embedded AI for power infrastructure backed by NVIDIA, announced the opening of a new innovation lab that will also serve as its headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a region known as an epicenter for ingenuity and technology advancement. The new space will serve as the company’s primary hub for testing, product development, and collaboration with partners across the technology, AI, and energy sectors.
The Ann Arbor headquarters includes dedicated distributed energy resources (DER) and data center labs that enable rapid prototyping and testing and will support the scaling of its autonomous power management platform, Karman, across critical energy infrastructure. Utilidata’s team of engineers will use the expanded space to build hardware components, test new software and AI algorithms, with their main focus of testing Karman in data center servers. The data center lab currently houses NVIDIA B200 servers running AI workloads with Karman, allowing the team to measure system behavior under realistic compute conditions.
The DER lab will be configured to replicate modern electrified homes and businesses, with electric meters connected to battery storage systems, electric vehicles and rooftop solar. In this lab, the team will run demonstrations to test how Karman interacts with distributed energy devices, further refining how the platform can support grid reliability and enable utilities to better manage demands from increasing electrification.
The move is supported by a $250,000 grant through the Michigan Business Development Program (MBDP), administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The lab currently employs 18 staff members on site, accounting for 25% of Utilidata’s workforce, and is expected to create 25 new full-time jobs and strengthen partnerships with key local collaborators
“The focus around AI often assumes that growth requires more power. In reality, data centers already have significant unused capacity due to limitations in power infrastructure,” said Josh Brumberger, CEO of Utilidata. “Our focus is on helping operators safely and responsibly use the power they already have with high-resolution, real-time visibility and control. Our new headquarters was purpose-built to rapidly test and validate these capabilities, and to tap into Ann Arbor’s deep engineering and technology talent and accelerate our innovation.”
Utilidata has maintained a presence in Michigan for several years, starting with its original 2,500-square foot innovation lab located in the Northern Brewery building, and working alongside local research institutions and technology partners to advance energy innovation. These efforts include projects with the University of Michigan’s Transportation Institute, Ann Arbor SPARK, Brooks Utility Partners, and Treetown Tech.
“Utilidata’s decision to locate its headquarters and innovation lab in Ann Arbor reflects the depth of our region’s engineering talent, from the university to large and small engineering firms, including automotive engineers whose skills seamlessly translate to energy and AI,” said Jennifer Olmstead, vice president of economic development at Ann Arbor SPARK.
In partnership with NVIDIA, Utilidata has built one of the smallest AI computing modules to easily embed in compact electrical devices to provide unparalleled visibility and power-flow control. The Ann Arbor headquarters will serve as a testing ground to demonstrate AI capabilities support to evolving power demands.
Bringing Utilidata’s headquarters and innovation lab to Ann Arbor was a true collaborative effort. Swisher Commercial and Oxford Companies played a critical role in identifying and delivering a space that could support Utilidata’s highly specialized lab, power, and testing requirements. Ann Arbor SPARK was proud to work alongside these partners and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to help bring this project to Ann Arbor and support Utilidata’s continued growth in the region.
