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, a pioneer in embedded AI for power infrastructure backed by NVIDIA, announced the opening of a new innovation lab that will also serve as its headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a region known as an epicenter for ingenuity and technology advancement. The new space will serve as the company’s primary hub for testing, product development, and collaboration with partners across the technology, AI, and energy sectors.

“Michigan is on the move and open for business, competing for and winning big projects in next-generation industries from cars to AI,” said 

. “Today’s announcement will create 25 new good-paying jobs and help cement Michigan as the best place for cutting-edge research and development that moves our nation forward. Let’s keep working together to show the world that Michigan is the best place to build the future.”

The move is supported by a $250,000 grant through the Michigan Business Development Program (MBDP), administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The lab currently employs 18 staff members on site, accounting for 25% of Utilidata’s workforce, and is expected to create 25 new full-time jobs and strengthen partnerships with key local collaborators

The Ann Arbor headquarters includes dedicated distributed energy resources (DER) and data center labs that enable rapid prototyping and testing and will support the scaling of its autonomous power management platform, 

, across critical energy infrastructure. Utilidata’s team of engineers will use the expanded space to build hardware components, test new software and AI algorithms, with their main focus of testing Karman in data center servers. The data center lab currently houses NVIDIA B200 servers running AI workloads with Karman, allowing the team to measure system behavior under realistic compute conditions.

The DER lab will be configured to replicate modern electrified homes and businesses, with electric meters connected to battery storage systems, electric vehicles and rooftop solar. In this lab, the team will run demonstrations to test how Karman interacts with distributed energy devices, further refining how the platform can support grid reliability and enable utilities to better manage demands from increasing electrification.

“The focus around AI often assumes that growth requires more power. In reality, data centers already have significant unused capacity due to limitations in power infrastructure,” said 

. “Our focus is on helping operators safely and responsibly use the power they already have with high-resolution, real-time visibility and control. Our new headquarters was purpose-built to rapidly test and validate these capabilities, and to tap into Ann Arbor’s deep engineering and technology talent and accelerate our scale.”

Utilidata has maintained a presence in Michigan for several years, starting with its original 2,500-square foot innovation lab located in the Northern Brewery building, and working alongside local research institutions and technology partners to advance energy innovation. These efforts include projects with the University of Michigan’s Transportation Institute, Brooks Utility Partners, and Treetown Tech.In partnership with NVIDIA, Utilidata has built one of the smallest AI computing modules to easily embed in compact electrical devices to provide unparalleled visibility and power-flow control. The Ann Arbor headquarters will serve as a testing ground to demonstrate AI capabilities to support evolving power demands.

Utilidata’s Karman platform provides autonomous power management for AI data centers, enabling operators to better utilize the power already available to them. By embedding real-time visibility and control directly into power distribution equipment, Karman unlocks stranded capacity. The Karman platform is built on a custom NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano, and has been embedded into smart meters to bring real-time visibility and power-flow control to the electric grid.

Utilidata Opens Ann Arbor Headquarters and Innovation Lab

How Utilidata enables real-time AI-powered decision making at the grid edge

, an NVIDIA-backed edge AI company, announced today the appointment of Gary Hicok as Executive Chair of the board of directors. Hicok, who recently served as an 

 to Utilidata, will transition into his new role on the board to lead alongside the senior leadership team at Utilidata. He will help scale the company’s distributed AI platform and custom NVIDIA module, Karman, for use in energy systems and critical infrastructure, including data centers.

“The rapid growth of AI factories creates a unique opportunity to unlock the value of edge computing, and there is no greater need than in data centers,” 

said Gary Hicok, Utilidata’s Executive Chair of the Board

. “As experts in power flow with a cutting-edge AI platform built on a custom, ultra-compact NVIDIA module, Utilidata is uniquely positioned to unlock up to 50% more compute capacity using existing data center infrastructure. During my time at NVIDIA, I often spearheaded expansion into new markets, and I’m excited to help Utilidata do the same as we tackle some of the most urgent energy challenges.”

As a former executive at NVIDIA for more than 25 years, Hicok has pioneered new technology and growth in edge computing. Hicok was the senior vice president of Automotive and Systems at NVIDIA, where he oversaw the NVIDIA DRIVE platforms used to develop self-driving vehicles. Before that, he served as senior vice president of NVIDIA's core logic business unit and the mobile business unit. His extensive experience will help Utilidata expand into new sectors that can benefit from edge AI, including AI factories.

“Gary Hicok has been an invaluable advisor, and we are thrilled to have him join our team as the Executive Chair of the Board,” 

 “Leveraging Gary’s experience and leadership, we’re excited to expand the impact of our Karman platform – especially in AI factories, where sub-millisecond power flow visibility, control, and guardrails paired with local AI will unlock significant power capacity.

Utilidata's Karman platform is built on a custom version of the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano and can be easily embedded into infrastructure devices to deliver unparalleled visibility and control of power flow. Hubbell Incorporated is the first electric hardware company to 

, creating the industry’s first AI smart meter. Like the electric grid, overprovisioning and lack of visibility and control over inefficient power use create major challenges for data centers. Karman is uniquely positioned to alleviate energy constraints and unlock significant value at the edge in both the grid and data centers.

Utilidata has built one of the smallest edge computing modules, making it easy to embed AI into critical infrastructure devices. With over a decade of experience using AI to optimize power flow on the electric distribution grid, the company’s edge AI platform – Karman, powered by their custom NVIDIA module – has already been embedded into smart meters to bring AI to the grid.

Gary Hicok Joins Utilidata as Executive Chair of the Board

A demonstration project achieved a 27% peak reduction and 12.5% bill savings using distributed AI

 announced the successful completion of a 

 Incubatenergy® Labs (IEL) and Southern California Edison (SCE). The project showed the capabilities of Utilidata’s Karman AI platform in delivering real-time, autonomous management of distributed energy resources (DERs) from the electric meter. Utilidata’s technology proved that local dynamic DER management is possible by enabling real-time operational signals to DERs – overriding static dispatch schedules. This allows DERs to actively respond to real-time system needs rather than pre-scheduled events.

Using wireless communication and on-device AI, Karman calculated optimal DER dispatch and sent control signals directly to DERs – while keeping data local at the source (the meter). This approach will enhance resiliency, reduce data transmission costs, maintain customer privacy, and increase customer benefits. The demonstration project resulted in a 12.5% reduction in electricity cost for a simulated home and a 27% reduction in peak demand.

Utilidata was selected by SCE to demonstrate the Karman platform for load forecasting, solar disaggregation and forecasting, local DER optimization calculations and DER commands. The study was performed using EPRI’s Simulation Platform for Integration of DER (SPIDER) software which generated realistic net load data. “Delivering scalable, real-world solutions for the future grid, such as distributed energy resources, requires deep collaboration between utilities and technology innovators, and EPRI’s Incubatenergy Labs facilitates these partnerships,” said

 Dan Killoren, Head of the Global Innovation Hub for EPRI

. “This project demonstrates that AI could be used to enhance grid operations.”

In addition to accurately identifying multiple DERs in real-time, during the simulation, the Karman platform demonstrated the following advanced capabilities:

With real-time insight into local conditions, Karman enabled accurate forecasting of site load and solar output. In the field, Karman can allow for more dynamic rate schedules. 

Generating and wirelessly sending operational signals to DERs: 

Unlike traditional systems that rely on centralized, static dispatch, Karman autonomously created and sent operational signals to DERs – curtailing solar generation and commanding batteries to charge or discharge – all without sending data to the cloud. This allows DERs to actively respond to real-time system needs, rather than pre-scheduled events.

Achieve peak reduction and cost savings for customers:

 By aligning DER control with time-of-use rates and peak pricing periods, Karman reduced peak load and lowered energy costs for the end user – demonstrating how AI at the grid edge benefits both utilities and consumers.

“This project is the first to show how distributed AI embedded in local grid devices can forecast, manage, and optimize DERs in real time,” said

 Jess Melanson, President & Chief Operating Officer at Utilidata

. ”To realize the full potential of DERs, utilities need the ability to rapidly and dynamically respond to system needs using local computing power.”

Current DERMS and virtual power plant (VPP) systems often rely on pre-determined schedules and lack awareness of local grid constraints. Utilidata’s Karman platform changes that paradigm by embedding AI directly into grid edge devices, creating a responsive, intelligent layer of local control. It enables DERs to act as dynamic participants in the grid – not passive assets awaiting pre-scheduled events.

SCE has become a leader in accelerating the energy transition by pursuing innovative technologies within grid edge computing to address growing energy demand and grid complexities. SCE's recent 

 aims to bring more AI-based solutions to the grid, and its leadership in the industry consortium, the 

Grid Edge Interoperability & Security Alliance (GEISA)

 project, has established important industry collaboration to set specifications for deploying grid edge solutions in the utility industry.

Built on a custom NVIDIA module designed specifically for grid operations, Karman’s distributed AI platform delivers secure over-the-air updates and an open architecture for third-party applications. DERMS and VPP providers can build applications directly on the Karman platform, expanding the ecosystem of intelligent DER management tools.

Founded in 1972, EPRI is the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, with offices around the world. EPRI's trusted experts collaborate with more than 450 companies in 45 countries, driving innovation to ensure the public has clean, safe, reliable, affordable, and equitable access to electricity across the globe. Together…shaping the future of energy.®

Utilidata is an AI-powered technology company providing utilities with real-time, actionable insights to operate a dynamic and flexible grid. The company’s distributed AI platform, Karman, analyzes large volumes of electricity data in real-time leveraging a combination of on-chip and cloud based software. Powered by a custom NVIDIA module purpose-built for the grid, Karman provides industry-leading computational power to grid devices–starting with meters–enabling faster, smarter decision-making.

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