$60 Million Boost for AI-Powered Smart Meters

Utilidata develops AI-embedded smart meters with Nvidia-designed chips. In April, the company announced a $60.3 million funding round to expand both production and deployment with utility partners. The software-defined smart grid chip is designed to bring real-time intelligence and control to distributed energy resources such as EV chargers, solar inverters, and batteries. Utilidata is collaborating with utilities such as Consumers Energy in Michigan and Portland General Electric in Oregon to integrate distributed energy resources and enhance grid resilience by collecting and analyzing large volumes of grid data in real time. 

EV charging is less predictable compared to HVAC systems, and a single vehicle charging can double or even triple household demand, causing spikes that may overload transformers. Some locations cannot host any charging stations due to grid hosting capacity limitations. Additionally, the pulsating load of fast charging might create power quality issues such as voltage fluctuation. Despite these challenges, EV adoption continues to grow. U.S EV sales in the first half of 2025 still set a record with 607,089 EVs. 

The electrical distribution system was originally designed assuming centralized power generation. That said, solar’s reverse power flow can cause operational issues, including over-voltage on the distribution feeder and increased short circuit currents. If solar output exceeds aggregated power demand below the substation, the distribution utility will curtail solar generation or store excess power in distribution-connected batteries. 

Lower voltage distribution grids are not monitored as closely as high voltage transmission systems, making it difficult for utilities to manage the complexity caused by EV charging and solar. Smart grid infrastructure addresses this challenge by enabling two-way communication, real-time monitoring, and automated control of distributed energy resources. As a part of the smart grid infrastructure, smart meters can help utilities to gain real-time insights and improve resilience against growing demand and renewable generation.