AI infrastructure startup Runware is building a factory in Romania to assemble modular data center pods on an assembly line. CEO Flaviu Fadulescu told TechCrunch the company plans to scale production to 30 megawatts of capacity per day by 2028, nearly a gigawatt per month. Runware says it has received $1 billion in committed interest for its Sonic pods since offering them to outside customers a month ago.
Runware's Sonic Inference Pod is a modular data center built in a factory and shipped to customers for installation. The company already runs one factory for the pods and is finishing a second, which is expected to go online early next year. A pod once took three weeks to build, but Runware says it will soon take one day. The company aims to bring pods online within 48 hours; that timeframe covers installation and set-up, not build time.
The factory will need people, inventory, supply-chain logistics and money. The electric vehicle startup Arrival struggled to mass-produce electric vehicles cost-effectively compared with traditional plants, a cautionary example. Fadulescu said Runware's cost structure is different. He said designing its own systems and buying widely available, affordable parts helps keep costs low, and the company brought in an experienced plant manager from the automotive industry to help with execution. 'Our factory staff is cost-effective relative to the value of deploying compute for AI,' he said.
Nvidia announced its Vera Rubin AI factories and the DSX POD earlier this year, both meant to make it faster and easier for companies to build their own AI data centers. Runware says its pod delivery times are shorter than current GPU lead times, giving it time to adapt the infrastructure to the hardware being ordered.
The pods are designed to operate with only power and an internet connection. They use closed-loop liquid cooling and air-cooled radiators and are 'completely silent up to temperatures of 86 degrees Fahrenheit,' Fadulescu said. Runware says it uses renewable energy wherever possible. It is working with power providers on a pipeline covering 397 megawatts, potentially expanding to 1.2 gigawatts. Runware says it is deploying its modular data centers on sites smaller than those used by hyperscalers and that the sites typically already have power.
Runware has raised more than $60 million, including a $50 million Series A last December, and plans to seek a Series B. Fadulescu said the new factory will go online early next year, after which it will expand to the United States and other regions. 'Customers should be able to plan a hyperscale data center around factory-built pods from the beginning and have it working in months instead of years,' he said.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- AI computing demand is outpacing the construction of traditional data centers, creating a bottleneck for companies that need processing power. If Runware can successfully mass-produce modular pods, it could help many organisations get compute capacity much faster.
- The environmental footprint of AI data centers has drawn criticism. Runware's closed-loop cooling system and use of renewable energy aim to reduce the water and energy demands of its pods, potentially addressing some of those concerns.
- Runware's attempt to manufacture data centers like cars is a high-risk test of a widely discussed idea. Its success or failure will shape the industry's approach to modular infrastructure.
Background
AI infrastructure startups and big tech companies alike are racing to build more data centers to meet demand from generative AI. Traditional construction can take years, prompting interest in factory-built modular units. Runware, based in Romania, developed the Sonic Inference Pod and has raised over $60 million to date. It already operates one production facility and is building a second, larger factory.
What to Watch
- Whether Runware's second factory opens on schedule early next year and can deliver pods at the promised pace and cost.
- Its ability to raise a Series B round: scaling production will require new capital, and the Arrival precedent makes investors cautious.
- How firm the $1 billion in reported commitments is and whether they convert into paid orders as the factory ramps up.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedRunware plans to mass-produce modular AI data centers in a Romanian factory.TechCrunch: “Flaviu Fadulescu, co-founder and CEO of Runware, told TechCrunch that the company plans to scale production at its Romania-based factory to 30 megawatts of data center capacity per day by 2028”
- SupportedRunware is building a Romanian factory to assemble modular data center pods on an assembly line.TechCrunch: “Fadulescu said Runware will gradually increase production starting next year and that it already has two factories — one it has used for a few years to build the pods, and a second it started building earlier this year.”
- SupportedFadulescu told TechCrunch Runware plans to reach 30 megawatts of data center capacity per day by 2028, nearly 1 gigawatt per month.TechCrunch: “Flaviu Fadulescu, co-founder and CEO of Runware, told TechCrunch that the company plans to scale production at its Romania-based factory to 30 megawatts of data center capacity per day by 2028, or nearly 1 gigawatt per month.”
- SupportedRunware says it has received $1 billion in committed interest for Sonic pods since offering them to outside customers a month ago.TechCrunch: “Still, Runware claims it has received $1 billion in committed interest for its Sonic pods since it began offering them to outside customers a month ago, “representing over 20 megawatts, which we’re now working to deliver,” Fadulescu said.”
- SupportedRunware aims to bring pods online within 48 hours, and that timeframe covers installation and set-up, not build time.TechCrunch: “Fadulescu said Runware aims to bring the pods online within 48 hours. That time covers installation and set-up time, not build time.”
- SupportedA pod once took three weeks to build, but Runware says it will soon take one day.TechCrunch: “A pod once took three weeks to build but it will soon take one day as it ramps up production, says the company.”
- SupportedFadulescu said, “Our factory staff is cost-effective relative to the value of deploying compute for AI.”TechCrunch: ““But our factory staff is cost-effective relative to the value of deploying compute for AI.””
- SupportedThe pods are “completely silent up to temperatures of 86 degrees Fahrenheit,” Fadulescu said.TechCrunch: ““The pods also run “completely silent up to temperatures of 86 degrees Fahrenheit. We use energy from renewable sources whenever possible,” he continued.”
- SupportedRunware says it uses renewable energy wherever possible.TechCrunch: ““We use energy from renewable sources whenever possible,” he continued.”
- SupportedRunware’s site pipeline covers 397 megawatts and could expand to 1.2 gigawatts.TechCrunch: ““We’re working with power providers on a site pipeline covering 397 megawatts, with potential to expand to 1.2 gigawatts,” he said”
- Partly supportedFadulescu said the new factory will go online early next year, after which Runware will expand to the United States and other regions.TechCrunch: “Next, Runware will bring its new factory online early next year, then expand to the U.S. and other regions worldwide.”
- SupportedFadulescu said, “Customers should be able to plan a hyperscale data center around factory-built pods from the beginning and have it working in months instead of years.”TechCrunch: ““Customers should be able to plan a hyperscale data center around factory-built pods from the beginning and have it working in months instead of years,” he added.”
