23 Daily — U.S. data centers consume between 17 and 19 billion gallons of water annually to cool their high-heat chips, a figure expected to triple within five years, according to The Water Foundation. On November 2, 2026, startup Omen AI announced a
Omen AI and Aquatic Labs Merge to Enhance Water Quality Sensors
Founded in 2024, Omen AI develops real-time sensors to monitor the cooling system fluids, capable of detecting valve failures or bacterial growth that could threaten the operation. After raising $31 million in a Series A in June 2026, Omen AI acquired Aquatic Labs in a cash and stock deal worth
The acquisition was facilitated by an investor in the filtration industry introducing Omen’s founder Zach Laberge to Aquatic Labs CEO Allan Adams. Both startups developed complementary real-time water sensor technologies: Omen’s sensors analyze water elements while Aquatic Labs’ sensors measure alkalinity. Integrating these technologies provides a much richer picture of fluid status and automates previously slow, manual testing.
Founders’ Backgrounds and Technology Integration Plans
Laberge left high school to found his first company, which focused on fluid analysis for large construction machines relying on hydraulics. Adams, trained as a physicist, was an MIT professor and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute researcher specializing in advanced ocean sensing technologies before launching Aquatic Labs. Post-merger, Adams serves as Chief Science Officer, and the combined teams aim to release an integrated sensor by early 2027.
Laberge said that by the end of this year, Omen’s initial sensors will monitor chips consuming about 250 to 300 megawatts of power, valued at roughly $5 to $7 billion, with hopes to cover 1 gigawatt of chip power by the end of 2027. The technology improves uptime by reducing downtime caused when fluid systems malfunction and operators need to dump fluids and halt operations. Sensors allow using the fluid longer and cut cleanup costs, enhancing operational stability.
Editor's take: Entrepreneurial Opportunities and Commercialization Outlook
The expanding data center sector’s massive water consumption makes ensuring stable, real-time water quality monitoring commercially valuable. The merger of Omen AI and Aquatic Labs accelerates product integration and scaling potential. Entrepreneurs should watch sensor technologies aiming to improve infrastructure efficiency, especially those combining multiple metrics for comprehensive monitoring.
Validation can begin through cooperative deployments with data centers, measuring reductions in downtime and improvements in water use efficiency. Assessing technology adaptability to other high-water-use industries is also key. Future success depends on continued integration, fundraising, and market adoption metrics in this specialized sector.