GS Chairman Huh Eyes Startup Tech to Ease AI Data Center Bottlenecks

GS Group Chairman Huh Tae-soo plans to significantly expand collaboration with startups to address the technical challenges facing artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. The strategy is to combine innovative startup technologies with the group’s existing business capabilities to establish a leading position in South Korea’s AI data center ecosystem.

GS Ventures, the corporate venture capital (CVC) arm of GS Group, held the “2026 GS Ventures Tech Day” at GS Tower in Gangnam, Seoul, on Sept. 15. The event was organized to explore solutions to challenges arising in the construction and operation of AI data centers, including power supply, data processing bottlenecks and server cooling. Speaking at the event, Huh said, “Innovative technologies from startups can provide solutions to the technical bottlenecks facing AI data centers,” adding, “We will broaden the points of connection between GS and startups and work together to develop Korea’s AI data center technology ecosystem.”

Senior executives from major affiliates, including GS Energy, GS Caltex and GS E&C, attended the event and explored technologies presented by seven startups. The sessions focused on power and cooling technologies, two of the longstanding challenges in data center operations.

In the power sector, Synergy presented solutions designed to improve energy efficiency, while Vincen proposed a data center power supply system using hydrogen fuel cells. In cooling, KoolMicro showcased its direct-to-chip (D2C) liquid cooling technology, which attaches cooling plates directly to semiconductors, while SDT introduced an immersion cooling system that submerges servers in insulating coolant.

Technologies aimed at improving data processing efficiency also drew attention. XCENA presented CXL-based intelligent memory technology designed to alleviate data bottlenecks. On the operations side, Elice Group introduced its modular AI data center technology, while Vessel AI presented its GPU cloud management technology, with both companies exploring potential collaboration with GS affiliates.

Following the Tech Day, GS Group plans to conduct technology verification and assess potential business applications through GS AI Infrastructure, its dedicated AI data center subsidiary. The company is also expected to consider applying these technologies to its large-scale data center project planned for Donghae, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province.

GS plans to begin phased completion of a 1.2-gigawatt (GW) data center in Donghae from 2028, with a long-term goal of expanding total capacity to 2.4 GW. The group aims to strengthen its competitiveness across the AI data center value chain by combining its existing strengths in power generation, construction and infrastructure operations with the flexible technological capabilities of startups.

GS Ventures has continued its open innovation initiatives through annual Tech Day events, connecting promising startups with GS affiliates. A GS Group spokesperson said the company will support domestic startups in building global competitiveness while proactively responding to growing demand for AI infrastructure.