Rune Energy
Startup · HQ Palo Alto, CA · FOUNDED 2022

Rune Energy, founded in 2022 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, develops modular direct-current data centers designed to capture surplus electricity from solar and wind farms. The company's flagship product, RELIC (Renewable Energy Linked Interruptible Compute), consists of behind-the-meter micro data centers that integrate custom silicon, DC power delivery systems, and software controls to convert otherwise-wasted renewable energy into computational capacity for AI training and complex simulations. Co-founder and CEO William Layden previously led SoftBank Energy's clean power data center initiative and founded a hydropower-backed bitcoin mining operation; co-founder and CTO Varun Palivela brings semiconductor expertise from roles at Qualcomm, Nuvia, and Arm. Rune raised $7 million in a seed round and has raised a total of $10.32 million as of early 2026, with a most recent funding tranche of $4.75 million. The company operates at 380 Portage Avenue in Palo Alto and targets renewable energy operators seeking to monetize curtailed or clipped power that would otherwise generate no revenue.

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DEEP TECH WEEK · ORGANIZATIONS / RUNE-ENERGY LAST INDEXED · MAY 11, 2026