Cooling The Cloud: How Koollogix And A*Star Are Reinventing Data Centre Cooling With AI

In a world increasingly dependent on cloud infrastructure, data centres have become the invisible backbone of our digital lives. Yet they consume vast amounts of energy — particularly for cooling. Singapore startup KoolLogix, a spin-off of ERS Industries, is changing that. In partnership with A*STAR, the company developed a proprietary thermal management system that slashes cooling energy costs by an average of 50%. Today, KoolLogix is taking its innovation further — infusing artificial intelligence (AI) to build the next generation of sustainable, self-optimising cooling systems.

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Singapore’s tropical climate, high computing demands, and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) expectations make efficient data centre cooling a critical need. 

• Rising demand, rising temperatures: As data usage grows, so does the need to cool the servers that process it. Traditional systems rely heavily on overcompensated air-conditioning — inefficient and energy-intensive. 
• Complex systems, evolving needs: Building smarter cooling systems requires deep expertise in fluid dynamics, thermal modelling, and now, artificial intelligence. 
• Talent and capability gaps: KoolLogix’s vision to use AI for dynamic thermal control required specialised R&D talent that most startups lack in-house.

Technologies are evolving so rapidly, and so we need to move quickly to identify the best talents who know AI.

- Mr CK Cheong, CEO and co-founder, KoolLogix

KoolLogix’s transformation began in 2013 under A*STAR’s Operational & Technology Roadmap (OTR) programme and accelerated through multiple phases of R&D support.

• Award-winning cooling architecture
  In the first Technology for Enterprise Capability Upgrading (T-Up) project, the company worked with A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing (A*STAR IHPC) in which scientists used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to co-develop a refrigerant-based cooling circuit. This system reuses discharged heat from servers to power its own cooling cycle — replacing conventional cooling methods that typically overcompensates using powerful air conditioners.
• Strategic AI integration
  In a third T-Up engagement (2022), KoolLogix joined hands with A*STAR to utilize AI and MPC for automated thermal controls such as the dynamic adjustments of cooling setpoints, airflow rates and other key controls.
• IoT-enabled performance monitoring
  The upcoming AI-enhanced platform will offer remote monitoring, data analytics and automated response, boosting both energy savings and operational reliability.
• R&D talent secondment
  Through A*STAR’s T-Up programme, the startup gained access to experienced researchers who helped design, model, and test intelligent thermal strategies — accelerating development without the overheads of building an in-house lab.

Innovation is the essence of technology. It’s not about what’s possible today; it’s about what’s possible tomorrow.

— Dr Seri Lee, CTO and co-founder, KoolLogix

Through science-backed engineering and public-private collaboration, KoolLogix is making sustainability in the digital economy commercially viable.

• 3× revenue growth in 2022, with expansion plans into Indonesia and other regional markets.
• Up to 50% energy savings in data centre cooling, cutting carbon emissions.
• Sustainable AI-ready operations without the need for costly hardware overhauls.
• Trusted by leaders like OCBC and the National Supercomputing Centre Singapore to meet ESG goals.
• Driving awareness of alternative cooling solutions and smart automation across the industry.

By embedding R&D at the heart of its growth strategy, KoolLogix exemplifies how Singapore’s innovation ecosystem, supported by A*STAR, empowers local SMEs to scale globally while tackling some of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges.

With the global data centre cooling market valued at US$13.3 billion in 2022 and projected to more than double to US$30.3 billion by 2028 (according to findings by International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group*), KoolLogix is set for great growth potential moving forward.

*International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group (IMARC Group) is a leading advisor on management strategy and market research worldwide