One of Europes leading climate tech VC firms has called for a fundamental redesign of traditional computing methods amid surging energy consumption fromAI applications.The Berlin-based World Fund warns that simply transitioning data centres to renewable power will not be enough to fully decarbonise AI compute.We need to rethink the way we go about computing, from the materials and chips we use to software we run, Daria Saharova, founding partner at World Fund, said at the Future of Green Computing event in Munich today.At the event, World Fund joined Dealroom and Intels deeptech accelerator Ignite to unveil a new report that proposes a set of emerging technologies from chips made in space to processors that mimic the brain to curb AIs enormous appetite for energy and usher in a new era of greener computing.Take me thereUsing data from Dealroom, the report maps out the green computing ecosystem. It identifies 65 startups in this space, 54 of which are European, with a combined value of over $900mn. Over half of these companies were founded within the past five years, with 12 emerging in just the last 12 months.A greener vision of AIThe report highlights three key technologies that hold the most potential to decarbonise AI.The first is advanced semiconductor materials such as Gallium Nitride (GaN), Silicon Carbide (SiC), and graphene. These could significantly reduce AIs energy consumption by improving efficiency and thermal performance in computing hardware.One of the leading innovators in this space is Welsh startup Space Forge. The company is leveraging the microgravity, vacuum, and extreme temperatures of space to produce semiconductors that it claims are three to five times purer than those made on Earth.Weve pushed the efficiency of silicon chips to their limit, said Joshua Western, CEO and cofounder at Space Forge.Another promising avenue lies in new computing paradigms, such as quantum, neuromorphic, and optical computing. Quantum computers, for instance, promise to solve complex calculations much faster than classical machines, potentially reducing computational time and overall energy consumption.Classical computers are getting too big, too expensive, and use too much energy and water, said Ins De Vega, VP of innovation at IQM, Europes best-funded quantum computing startup. Quantum computing can both find new solutions to climate change but also drastically reduce the overall energy consumption of computing itself.Another type of computing gaining traction is optical computing, which leverages photons particles of light instead of electrons. It could dramatically increase processing speed, as demonstrated by Germanys Black Semiconductor. The companys photonics processors could transmit signals 100 to 1,000 times faster than traditional electronic chips.Anastasiia Nosova, a former chip engineer at German semiconductor giant Infineon and host of the Anastasi In Tech podcast, argued that photonic chips could be 100 times more energy efficient than regular silicon semiconductors. They are one of the most important developments in computing right now, she said at the Munich event..While hardware fixes will be critical, theres also work to be done in advanced software that makes AIs energy use more efficient. One of the startups working on this is London-based Deep Render. The company uses deep learning to compress files while retaining quality beyond what was previously possible. This reduces the volume of data that needs to be transmitted or stored, and thus the amount of computing power required.While these technologies hold potential, theyre still in the nascent stages of development. Meanwhile, the energy needed to train AI models is doubling every three to four months, according to OpenAI.For these computing solutions to scale in Europe, we need a lot of venture capital but also government backing, said Saharova. She believes that Europe needs to allocate about 1 trillion to bring climate tech, including green computing, to the level it needs to be.The future of AI will be a hot topic at TNW Conference, which takes place on June 19-20 in Amsterdam. Ticketsfor the event are now on sale. Use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 at the check-out to get 30% off the price tag. Story by Sin Geschwindt Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecos (show all) Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecosystem. He's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. Sin has five years journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.Also tagged with