Omen AI buys Aquatic Labs for $16m to sharpen data-centre cooling

Omen AI agreed to acquire its competitor Aquatic Labs for $16 million in cash and stock, according to TechCrunch, in a move that combines two technologies for sensing the quality of cooling fluids in data centres.

Omen, founded in 2024, makes real-time sensors that detect elements in cooling fluids to determine whether valves are failing or bacteria growth threatens water flow. Aquatic Labs measures the fluid's alkalinity, giving the combined technology a broader picture of the water.

The two companies said merging the technologies into a single sensor aims to automate a process that previously required sending samples to a laboratory and waiting days. The combined teams plan to bring the integrated sensor to market early next year.

TechCrunch reported that US data centres use 17 to 19 billion gallons of water a year to cool chips, a figure expected to triple within five years. Omen said it raised a $31 million Series A in June and is working on sensors for data centres drawing 250 to 300 megawatts.

What do these terms mean?

Cash-and-stock deal: A deal in which the buyer pays part in cash and part in shares, rather than all cash or all stock.

Liquid cooling: A method of cooling data-centre chips with fluid flowing close to them, more efficient than air in dense, high-power sites.

Alkalinity: A measure of how acidic or alkaline water is. An imbalance can harm equipment or allow bacteria to grow in a cooling system.