Last Updated: 11 September 2026
TAR builds power systems for AI data centers that can operate without relying on the traditional electricity grid. The company was founded in 2026 by Pat Becker and Leonhard Soenke. Its model combines renewable energy generation with battery storage for data center projects.
Electricity demand in the United States is rising as data centers and manufacturing consume more power. The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects electricity sales to reach 4,135 billion kilowatthours in 2026, almost 2% above 2025 levels, with data center development and manufacturing among the main drivers. Demand is expected to rise by nearly another 2% in 2027.
TAR has raised $120 million in a Series A led by Spark Capital. The round gives the Austin company a $1 billion post money valuation. Existing investors Buckley Ventures and Align Fund also participated in the financing.
Data centers are adding to electricity demand at a time when the United States also needs more transmission infrastructure. The U.S. Department of Energy said in its 2026 National Transmission Needs Study that more transmission capacity is needed partly because of growing demand from data centers and other large electricity users.
Texas is one example of that pressure. During the week ending August 22, 2026, average hourly electricity demand on the ERCOT grid reached a record 74.5 gigawatts. The EIA also reported that Texas authorities were reviewing proposed data center connections following a moratorium on new data center interconnections.
TAR is trying to avoid that connection process. Its systems use dedicated renewable generation and battery storage to supply data centers without relying on the public grid. That can allow projects to proceed without waiting for additional transmission capacity or competing directly with existing electricity users.
“Power is becoming the main bottleneck to scaling compute. We will need innovation, unprecedented speed and exceptional companies unblocking it at every level.”
Will Reed, General Partner at Spark Capital
The new funding will support TAR's expansion in Texas and California. The company plans to grow its Austin headquarters and San Francisco engineering office, while also increasing the capacity of its logistics and manufacturing operation in West Texas. It also plans to speed up projects that are already under development.
Hiring is part of that expansion. TAR is recruiting across engineering, robotics, power systems, operations, supply chain and project management, with more than 40 open roles across Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area.
TAR is also working on several physical projects. The company says it is carrying out a utility scale deployment with one of the largest “neoclouds,” while also developing a dedicated project campus. It is completing TAR Terminal One, its manufacturing and logistics facility in West Texas.
TAR, whose full name is Transformative American Resources, was founded in 2026 by Becker and Soenke. The company is headquartered in Austin, with engineering based in San Francisco and manufacturing concentrated in West Texas.
The company says it manages the full development process rather than supplying one part of a project. That work includes finding sites, engineering and design, purchasing equipment, logistics, construction, commissioning and eventually operating the system. TAR also uses what it calls a purpose built deployment automation stack, which it says requires far less field labor than conventional construction.
Its staff includes people with experience in both energy and robotics. Team members have previously worked at Hut 8, AES, Vistra, Zipline, GrayMatter Robotics and Lucid Motors. The current leadership team includes several industry hires. Jeff Silvan serves as Head of Projects, Christian Sanchez as Head of Power Systems and Raphael Levy as Head of Supply Chain.
“To lead the frontier of AI after a lack of investment in the electrical grid for decades requires a complete rethinking of energy deployments. Gigawatt-scale deployments in tight time windows necessitate owning the full stack end-to-end,”
Pat Becker, co-founder of TAR
The Series A follows a $27 million seed round announced in June 2026. Across its two publicly disclosed rounds, TAR has now raised $147 million, while the latest financing values the company at $1 billion.
Spark Capital led the Series A. The U.S. venture capital firm has backed technology companies including Anthropic, Twitter, Slack, Discord, Oculus, Cruise and Coinbase. Its current portfolio also includes companies working in AI infrastructure, robotics and energy, such as Crusoe, Base Power and The Bot Company.
Buckley Ventures also participated. Led by Josh Buckley, the firm makes concentrated investments in early stage companies across internet, software and frontier technology and manages more than $1 billion across its funds. Align Fund, another previous TAR investor, also joined the round.
