AI infrastructure company Runware wants to build a factory that assembles modular data center pods on a production line just like cars, according to CEO Flaviu Fadulescu. The company previously unveiled the Sonic Inference Pod, a modular data center built in a factory and shipped ready to install, and now plans to scale production at its Romania-based facility to 30 megawatts of data center capacity per day by 2028.
Other companies like Crusoe and Schneider Electric also sell prefabricated pods, but Runware claims it can ship faster. Nvidia announced the Vera Rubin AI factories and the DSX POD earlier this year to make AI data center construction easier, but Runware says it has actually built a factory rather than just designed the infrastructure.
Fadulescu stated that Runware will gradually increase production starting next year. The company has two factories, with the second expected to finish within months and go online early next year. Customers can provide their own site or have Runware find one, with pods coming online within 48 hours for installation and set-up.
Runware will provide spare parts if components fail. Customers can rent compute or supply their own GPUs while paying a monthly fee for pods and operations, with power and internet charged separately. The pods feature a standard design that can be customized to customer requirements and the latest GPU chips.
Execution remains the test for these plans, as the factory requires staff, inventory, supply chain logistics, and money. Runware raised a $50 million Series A last December and plans to raise a Series B. Fadulescu stated, “Our cost structure is very different,” adding that they brought in an experienced plant manager from the automotive industry.
Runware claims it has received $1 billion in committed interest for its Sonic pods, representing over 20 megawatts. The pods use a closed-loop liquid cooling system with air-cooled radiators, requiring no water connection. Fadulescu said, “We’re working with power providers on a site pipeline covering 397 megawatts, with potential to expand to 1.2 gigawatts.”
Following the launch of the new factory early next year, Runware plans to expand to the U.S. and other global regions. Fadulescu noted that modular systems will soon become standard for large AI deployment.
