# Cast AI Secures $108M to Optimize the Cloud for AI and Kubernetes Workloads

## Cast AI Secures $108M to Optimize the Cloud for AI and Kubernetes Workloads

Cast AI, a startup focused on cloud optimization, has announced a $108 million Series C funding round as organizations grapple with the rising costs and resource demands of training and deploying AI models. The funding will fuel further research and development, as well as expansion into key markets like the U.S. The round values Cast AI at close to $900 million, placing it near unicorn status.

The company’s core mission is to maximize the efficiency of GPU utilization, compute resources, and electricity consumption, particularly for AI-driven workloads. “It’s all about GPU, compute and electricity,” explains Yuri Frayman, Cast AI’s CEO and co-founder. “Our play is to ensure that we create efficiency, to be able to promote more workloads across GPUs. That is what we are about.”

Cast AI’s platform analyzes cloud and on-premise capacity to identify the most cost-effective distribution of computing workloads. The technology integrates seamlessly with major cloud providers and other customer infrastructure. With 2,100 customers acquired over the past three years, Cast AI counts Akamai, BMW, FICO, HuggingFace, NielsenIQ, and Swisscom among its users.

The timing of this funding round is particularly relevant. As companies face processor shortages for AI model development and deployment, efficient resource allocation is crucial. Cast AI’s research suggests that, on average, only a fraction of CPU, memory, and GPU resources are actively utilized, highlighting the opportunity for significant optimization.

This Series C round, co-led by G2 Venture Partners and SoftBank Vision Fund 2, also includes participation from Aglaé Ventures (the investment firm of LVMH’s chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault), Hedosophia, Cota Capital, Vintage Investment Partners, Creandum, and Uncorrelated Ventures.

Importantly, Frayman notes that this investment places Cast AI in the same portfolio as OpenAI and AI infrastructure provider Crusoe Energy, both of which are working on the Stargate AI infrastructure project with SoftBank, Oracle, and others. Cast AI already counts several of these companies as partners and customers. They are partnering with Crusoe, integrating inside their stack, and collaborating with SoftBank to improve AI data center efficiency. The startup is also participating in the large-scale project between OpenAI and SoftBank to develop services in Japan.

While AI is now a primary focus, Cast AI originated from the founders’ experiences managing cloud costs at their previous cybersecurity startup, Zenedge (acquired by Oracle). This led to their initial focus on optimizing cloud use for Kubernetes workloads. While Kubernetes remains a core part of Cast AI’s business, the current surge in AI activity is driving growth and attracting investors.

“Cast AI is setting a new standard for cloud efficiency at a time when infrastructure demands are surging,” said Tim Yap, investment director at SoftBank Investment Advisers. Carl Fritjofsson, general partner at Creandum, added, “Cast was an AI agent before we started talking about that technology… They’ve just been building this type of automation for a long time.”

The $108 million Series C funding will enable Cast AI to further refine its platform and capitalize on the growing demand for efficient cloud resource management in the age of AI and Kubernetes. The company’s approach to automation and optimization positions it as a key player in enabling organizations to maximize the value of their AI investments.