Vertiv (NYSE: VRT), a global provider of critical digital infrastructure, announced a milestone in its collaboration with NVIDIA to advance the next generation of AI factories, unveiling its design maturity for 800-volt direct current (VDC) power platforms. The company said it has moved from concept to engineering readiness as part of its “unit of compute” strategy, with its 800 VDC power portfolio scheduled for release in the second half of 2026, in time to support NVIDIA’s planned rollout of the Rubin Ultra platform in 2027.
The development comes amid an industry-wide transition driven by artificial intelligence and accelerated computing, where conventional 54 VDC in-rack systems—built for kilowatt-scale loads—can no longer sustain the megawatt-scale requirements of AI and high-performance computing workloads. Vertiv and NVIDIA are jointly working on scalable 800 VDC systems integrated with energy storage to serve as the foundation for large-scale, synchronized AI factories.
Vertiv is finalizing its component specifications for a comprehensive platform that includes centralized rectifiers, high-efficiency DC busways, and rack-level DC-DC converters engineered to support the increasing power density of future NVIDIA compute architectures. The company is currently engaged in early-stage designs for several large AI factory projects, where its 800 VDC reference architecture is being tested against real-world gigawatt-scale demand.
“Larger AI workloads are reshaping every aspect of data center design,” said Scott Armul, executive vice president of global portfolio and business units at Vertiv. “Our systems-level expertise in both AC and DC-based architectures positions us uniquely to address the unprecedented power demands of AI workloads. With the development of our Vertiv 800 VDC platform designs, we’re translating our extensive experience into next-generation solutions that will support the massive compute densities required for AI factories.”
Dion Harris, senior director of HPC, Cloud and AI Infrastructure at NVIDIA, said the collaboration marks an important shift in the industry’s approach to power systems. “Powering the next generation of megawatt-scale AI factories requires a fundamental shift in power architectures. NVIDIA and Vertiv are working closely together to develop the scalable and efficient power foundation needed to unlock the full potential of next-generation AI infrastructure,” he said.
Vertiv’s 800 VDC power architecture builds on its long-standing experience in DC systems used in telecommunications and industrial applications. The company said its deep engineering and field expertise enable it to translate proven technologies into the data center space, where power and cooling requirements are rising sharply with the growth of AI workloads.
The company also underscored the importance of safety and serviceability in high-voltage environments. With over 4,000 field service engineers worldwide, Vertiv said its service infrastructure is equipped to manage the complexities of maintaining mission-critical AC and DC systems, a capability it sees as a differentiator as AI factories move closer to commercial deployment.
Vertiv’s latest progress in 800 VDC systems signals growing momentum in the development of high-efficiency power infrastructure tailored for AI. While full commercial rollout is expected in 2026, the collaboration with NVIDIA positions Vertiv among a handful of companies building the backbone of next-generation compute power systems designed to meet the data center industry’s steep trajectory toward megawatt-scale operations.
