Unblock, an energy infrastructure startup transforming stranded energy into computing power, announced $13.5 million in funding. The round was led by Goldcrest Capital and Collaborative Fund, with participation from Pampa Energia, Grupo Sielecki, FJ Labs, NYDIG, Luxor Technology, Sunna Ventures, and several Latin American entrepreneurs.
The funding will enable Unblock to scale its operations, which deploy modular data centers at remote energy sites to capture energy that would otherwise go to waste. The company currently eliminates around 142,000 tons of CO₂ emissions annually by utilizing flared gas and curtailed renewables.
Unblock operates at the intersection of rising energy demands and underused resources in Latin America. The company has become one of the largest computing operators at oil field facilities, capitalizing on Argentina’s growing flaring problem.
"We are building at the crossroads of AI’s explosive energy demand and Latin America's vast bottlenecked energy resources,” said Tomas Ocampo, CEO and founder. “We envision an elastic computing network that flexibilizes midstream infrastructure while also smoothing volatility in the power grid.”
Unblock plans to use the funding to double its current computing capacity by September, driven by two major projects already underway. According to the company, it grew from 0 to 15MW of installed capacity in just over a year — a testament to its speed of execution.
The investment will also support aggressive hiring across engineering and field operations teams. In addition, Unblock is vertically integrating its data center production locally to further accelerate expansion throughout Latin America.
"The combination of already de-risked technology with strong local execution makes them uniquely positioned to capture Latin America's massive stranded energy opportunity,” said Dan Friedland, Managing Partner at Goldcrest Capital.
Founded by Tomas Ocampo, Unblock was created to address the inefficiencies of energy production in Latin America, where infrastructure bottlenecks often lead to wasted resources. The company’s modular, mobile data centers convert that lost energy into economic value, offering both revenue and emissions reduction for energy producers.
Unblock also aims to address volatility in regional power grids by creating a flexible computing network that adapts to available energy. This vision has positioned the company as a unique player at the intersection of energy and technology in the region.
Unblock’s funding was anchored by experienced investors with a history of supporting impactful companies. Goldcrest Capital, based in Dallas with $1.9 billion under management, has invested in firms like SpaceX, Anduril, and Peregrine.
Collaborative Fund, known for supporting businesses that align profit with positive impact, has backed companies including Lyft, Kickstarter, and Blue Bottle Coffee.
