Energy tech startup Emerald AI is quickly gaining attention as an important name in the global power space. In a recent development, the startup has earned a place on the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies of 2026, marking an important milestone in its growth. Founder and CEO Varun Sivaram described the recognition as both inspiring and humbling, especially since Emerald AI now shares the list with its key partner and investor, NVIDIA, which is currently the world’s most valuable company.
“The rewards are massive: unlocking trillions of AI investment, accelerating life-saving scientific discoveries, and reducing energy bills for local communities as the next generation of AI data centers serves as grid allies and lucrative customers to anchor generations of revenue for public power systems. Emerald AI aims to make AI the hero, not the villain. And we stand on the shoulders of giants, such as pioneers in this field like Google, whom we’re so honored to join on this list,” Sivaram.
Meet Varun Sivaram: CEO and founder of Emerald AI
Varun Sivaram currently leads Emerald AI as its founder and CEO, while also serving as a senior fellow for energy and climate at the Council on Foreign Relations. His career spans multiple fields, combining leadership roles in major companies, experience as a senior US diplomat, and a background in physics with a focus on clean energy technologies.
Before starting Emerald AI, he was the chief strategy and innovation officer at Ørsted, a Fortune Global 500 firm and one of the world’s largest offshore wind energy producers. In that role, he worked on major clean energy deals worth billions of dollars, including acquisitions, partnerships, and financing initiatives. He also helped shape the company’s global renewable energy strategy across different regions and played a key role in launching Ørsted Ventures, which focuses on investing in emerging technologies.
Earlier in his career, Sivaram served as chief technology officer at ReNew Power, India’s largest renewable energy producer, where he contributed to scaling clean energy operations. He also spent time as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, gaining experience in strategy and business transformation.
Education qualifications:
A recipient of both the Rhodes Scholarship and the Truman Scholarship, he has an impressive academic background. He completed his PhD in condensed matter physics at the University of Oxford, after earning his undergraduate degree from Stanford University—a journey that highlights his strong focus on research and academic excellence.
What is Emerald AI?
Launched last year, Emerald AI is designed to manage how and when electricity is used by shifting AI workloads based on grid conditions and performance needs. Instead of running everything at once, it helps decide the best time and place for these tasks, easing pressure on power systems.
The opportunity here is enormous. Research from Duke University suggests that the current U.S. power grid could handle around 100 gigawatts of flexible demand—an amount that equals more than a tenth of the country’s peak electricity usage. If Emerald AI delivers on its promise, it could play a major role in connecting the worlds of energy and artificial intelligence on a global scale.
“Energy is our critical bottleneck,” says Sivaram. ”If we can unlock our existing energy grid, we can get AI infrastructure up and running faster and maintain our lead in the AI race.”
The company is riding a wave of strong momentum. In 2025, Emerald AI drew significant attention after raising $24.5 million in a seed funding round, with backing from Nvidia and well-known climate investors like John Doerr and John Kerry.
More recently, in March, the company revealed plans to work with Nvidia to bring together major power companies and develop AI facilities that can adapt to the changing demands and limitations of the electricity grid.