Tech startup I-Pulse has secured a $250 million research and development grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s CHIPS office. It is one of the largest federal investments in a company developing semiconductor technologies.
The funding should accelerate the development of I-Pulse’s proprietary silicon-carbide semiconductor components, strengthening U.S. efforts to boost domestic chip manufacturing and reduce dependence on foreign supply chains.
According to Bloomberg, the deal is the latest sign of billionaire mining entrepreneur Robert Friedland’s growing collaboration with the Trump administration on efforts to strengthen U.S. critical mineral and supply-chain security.
Unlocking Clean Energy
The Albuquerque-based firm, located near Sandia National Laboratories and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, will partner with national laboratories, universities, and specialized manufacturers to develop high-temperature, high-current silicon-carbide semiconductor switches.
The firm’s technology uses high-voltage solid-state switches to deliver electrical pulses into rock formations. These pulses then fracture and soften the rock ahead of mechanical drilling, dramatically speeding up the process, increasing the drill bit life, and lowering the drilling costs.
With this technology, I-Pulse aims to unlock large-scale geothermal resources. Geothermal power would provide continuous 24-hour electricity, a growing priority for artificial intelligence infrastructure.
“The limiting factor in artificial intelligence is clean energy, and you can’t do AI with solar or wind. The best answer is geothermal,” Friedland said.
The Underlying Connection
Beyond geothermal energy, the same semiconductor platform has applications in underground mining, tunneling, rock crushing, manufacturing, and defense systems, broadening the technology’s commercial opportunities.
Declining ore grades mean miners must process significantly more rock to produce the same amount of copper, increasing energy consumption and operating costs. I-Pulse’s technology aims to replace conventional crushing and grinding with electrical rock fracturing, reducing emissions, lowering costs, and improving metal recovery.
“You people have no idea whatsoever what we’re facing. You’re dreaming. Since 1900, the energy to produce copper, the energy you need to make copper is 16-fold up,” he noted, warning about the large disconnect between economic growth, energy expenditure, and affordable mining.
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