Snowcap Compute, a Palo Alto-based startup, has emerged from stealth with $23 million in seed funding led by Playground Global, with participation from Cambium Capital and Vsquared Ventures. The company is developing the first commercially viable superconducting compute platform, designed to deliver unparalleled speed and energy efficiency for AI, quantum, and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads.
Snowcap Compute secures $23M seed funding led by Playground Global.
Platform targets AI, quantum, and HPC with superconducting technology.
Promises 25x better performance-per-watt than current chips.
Led by silicon veterans, including CEO Michael Lafferty and advisors from NVIDIA, Google.
Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger joins as Board Chair.
First chip expected by end of 2026, full systems to follow.
Snowcap’s platform leverages superconducting logic, using Josephson junctions to achieve zero-resistance current flow, enabling up to 25x better performance-per-watt compared to CMOS-based chips, even after accounting for cryogenic cooling. “We’re building compute systems for the edge of what’s physically possible,” said Michael Lafferty, CEO of Snowcap. “Superconducting logic lets us push beyond the limits of existing CMOS technology, achieving orders-of-magnitude gains in processing speed and efficiency.” The platform supports AI inference, training, and quantum-classical hybrid workloads, addressing the growing power constraints of data centers.
Built on decades of research, Snowcap has overcome key barriers to superconducting compute, including scaling, fab compatibility, and system architecture challenges. The platform uses niobium titanium nitride, sourced from Brazil and Canada, and is compatible with standard 300mm semiconductor manufacturing processes, ensuring practical deployment. The Snowcap 1 test chip demonstrates massive processing power at unprecedented efficiency, marking a significant step toward commercialization.
Snowcap is led by CEO Michael Lafferty, former director of Cadence’s “More than Moore” group, alongside Chief Science Officer Anna Herr, Ph.D., and Chief Technology Officer Quentin Herr, Ph.D., renowned for their work at Northrop Grumman and Imec. Advisors include Brian Kelleher (ex-NVIDIA) and Phil Carmack (ex-Google). Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, now General Partner at Playground Global and Snowcap’s Board Chair, emphasized the urgency of energy-efficient solutions: “A lot of data centers today are just being limited by power availability.” Cambium Capital and Vsquared Ventures add deep tech and semiconductor expertise to the funding round.
With global cloud computing spending projected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2025, and AI systems like NVIDIA’s “Rubin Ultra” server consuming 600 kilowatts, energy efficiency is critical. Snowcap’s platform aims to reduce data center power consumption significantly, supporting sustainable AI and HPC growth. “Reimagining a post-CMOS world with the most capable team in superconducting technology is exactly the kind of breakthrough Playground was built to enable,” said Gelsinger.
Snowcap plans to deliver its first basic chip by the end of 2026, with full systems to follow, targeting early adopters in AI and research-intensive domains. The platform’s compatibility with existing software and its ability to integrate with quantum and classical systems position it as a transformative force in next-generation computing.
Snowcap Compute’s launch marks a bold step toward a post-CMOS era, with its superconducting platform poised to redefine data center efficiency and performance. Backed by a stellar team and strategic investors, Snowcap is set to drive innovation in AI, quantum, and HPC.
Snowcap is building the first commercially viable superconducting compute platform — designed to deliver dramatic gains in speed and energy efficiency for AI, quantum, and high-performance computing. Founded by a team of experts in superconducting logic, digital architectures, and systems engineering, Snowcap is rethinking classical compute for the age of cryo and quantum infrastructure.
Playground Global is a deep tech venture capital firm with $1.2 billion under management, backing early-stage startups solving foundational challenges in next-generation compute, automation, energy transition, and engineered biology. Founded in 2015 and based in Palo Alto, Playground partners closely with technical and scientific founders to turn breakthrough ideas into lasting companies. Portfolio highlights include PsiQuantum, MosaicML (acquired by Databricks), d-Matrix, Agility Robotics, Ideon, Ultima Genomics, and Strand Therapeutics.
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