Petra Power, a startup founded in 2017, is developing solid oxide fuel cells designed to supply power to data centers and military vehicles. The ceramic-based devices convert fuels such as natural gas into electricity without combustion, aiming to reduce both operating costs and emissions. Founder Aaron Goodman told TechCrunch that the technology offers a smaller physical footprint and higher efficiency compared to conventional power generation methods. Unlike traditional systems that burn fuel to create motion and then generate electricity — processes that lose energy at multiple stages — Petra’s cells extract electrons directly from the fuel, resulting in a single-step conversion with minimal waste. Goodman noted that this approach could significantly lower fuel expenses for customers who rely on continuous power. The company is currently engaging with infrastructure providers and cloud services firms that supply hardware to major cloud operators, with plans to begin initial deployments in 2028 and scale production by 2029. While no formal agreements with hyperscalers have been announced, Goodman described them as a key target market due to their large-scale energy demands. The U.S. Department of Defense is also evaluating the technology for potential use in auxiliary power systems for land vehicles, though field testing is still underway. Petra has secured nearly $9 million in contracts from the Defense Department to support development and testing. The company, which employs around 15 people, was selected for TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200 program and will present at an event in San Francisco. No live deployments of the fuel cells on operational vehicles have occurred to date, and further government adoption will depend on the outcomes of ongoing trials.