Where advanced AI meets sustainable energy infrastructure
Zap Power is a deep-tech company developing next-generation cryogenic power solutions for AI data centres — one of the fastest-growing sources of global energy demand and environmental impact.
The company was founded by Dr Vincent Zeng and Professor Shirley Pei, bringing together world-class expertise in cryogenics, superconductivity and power electronics. Zap Power originated from advanced academic research, where foundational work demonstrated the potential for operating power electronics at ultra-low temperatures to achieve dramatic efficiency gains.
Zap Power was formed to translate this research into deployable, infrastructure-ready technology. The focus is firmly on real-world impact: addressing the energy, cooling and scalability constraints now facing AI-driven digital platforms, while reducing the associated carbon and resource footprint.
The company’s work centres on the world’s first cryogenically cooled power solution, currently under IP development.
Our mission
Zap Power’s mission is to remove energy inefficiency as a limiting factor in the growth of AI infrastructure.
As AI systems and high-performance computing scale, energy loss, heat generation and cooling demand are becoming structural constraints. Zap Power exists to address these challenges at source, enabling digital systems to grow in a way that is economically viable and environmentally responsible.
The company’s work sits at the intersection of advanced physics, engineering and real-world deployment — focused on solutions that deliver radical efficiency gains through advanced cryogenically cooled DC architecture.
Our founders and leadership team
Zap Power’s founders, Dr Vincent Zeng and Professor Shirley Pei, are both internationally recognised experts in power electronics and cryogenic systems, with a proven track record of applying advanced research to real-world industrial challenges.
Both are senior researchers at the University of Bath, one of the UK’s leading centres for engineering and physical sciences, with strong links to industry and a global reputation for research excellence. Their work sits at the intersection of fundamental science, applied engineering and commercial deployment, and they are regularly engaged by industry partners seeking solutions to complex, high-impact problems in energy, transport and high-performance systems.
Dr Vincent Zeng
Dr Vincent Zeng brings deep industry and applied expertise in power electronics, high-power conversion and electrification, spanning both advanced research and hands-on industrial delivery in energy-intensive, performance-critical environments.
He has held senior engineering roles in industry, including at GE Grid Solutions, where he led the design of valve units for HVDC transmission projects. His experience also includes automotive power electronics programmes such as kilowatt-level DC-DC converters and inverters, and collaboration with McLaren on high-performance engineering applications.
Alongside this, Vincent has led applied research across power electronics, motor drives, electrification and renewable energy interface systems, with a consistent focus on technologies designed for real-world deployment and commercial integration.
Co-founder
Professor Shirley Pei
Professor Shirley Pei is a world-recognised expert in cryogenic systems and superconducting technologies, with more than 17 years’ experience in the design and operation of cryogenic systems for high-performance, energy-intensive applications.
Her work focuses on technologies that depend on ultra-low-temperature environments to operate, particularly superconducting systems, giving her deep, practical insight into the behaviour, constraints and opportunities of complex electrical systems under cryogenic conditions.
Shirley works closely with major OEMs across the aerospace, maritime and automotive sectors on cryogenic technologies, net zero transport and future energy solutions. She is widely recognised for combining scientific depth with real-world applicability, and is frequently sought out by industry partners for her expertise in scaling cryogenic systems safely, efficiently and reliably.
Co-founder
Non-Executive Director
Professor Chris Hancock is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and one of the UK’s leading engineering entrepreneurs in applied, high-impact technologies.
He is the Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Creo Medical Group plc, a London Stock Exchange–listed medical technology company, and is named on more than 1,400 patents and patent applications worldwide.
As Non-Executive Director and Strategic Advisor to Zap Power, Chris brings deep experience in scaling complex, highly regulated technologies from research through to commercial deployment, supporting Zap Power’s transition into real-world infrastructure applications.
Professor Chris Hancock
Research-led.
Industry-focused.
Zap Power was formed at the intersection of the founders’ complementary expertise in power electronics and cryogenic engineering. Their combined work revealed a shared challenge: as power density increases, conventional power architectures generate losses and heat that become increasingly difficult and costly to manage.
By combining advanced power conversion with cryogenic engineering, Zap Power is rethinking how high-voltage DC systems operate in extreme environments, enabling both higher efficiency and higher power density.
AI data centres represent a timely and urgent application of this approach. Cooling is now one of the dominant constraints on AI infrastructure, making this convergence of capability and market need particularly significant.
“As AI infrastructure scales, the challenge is no longer whether the technology works, but whether the systems that support it can cope. Energy use, heat and cooling are now fundamental considerations. Addressing these issues is essential if AI is to grow in a way that is both technically viable and environmentally responsible.”
Dr Vincent Zeng