Turning Flares into Compute: Why We Backed Unblock
Where We Are Today
The need for energy to power AI and digital infrastructure is growing faster than supply can keep up. Data centers, already among the fastest-growing sources of electricity demand, are being pushed to new limits by AI workloads and the rapid expansion of cloud computing. This surge in demand is colliding with the realities of energy infrastructure that wasn’t built for this kind of scale or speed.
At the same time, oil companies continue to flare massive volumes of natural gas, wasting enough energy each year to power a region the size of Sub-Saharan Africa. This inefficiency opens up a rare opportunity: redirecting stranded gas into something valuable. By turning it into power for data-intensive computing like AI training and Bitcoin mining, we can reduce waste and harmful emissions while meeting a growing energy need.
We’re thrilled to back Unblock in their Seed round, alongside Goldcrest Capital, Collaborative Fund, and other strategic investors.
From gas to compute
Unblock turns wasted gas into computing power. Their modular data centers are deployed at oilfields, where they convert flared natural gas into electricity on-site, eliminating emissions and providing ultra-low-cost energy for compute. Instead of transporting fuel, Unblock moves bits, cutting emissions while unlocking new value from stranded energy.
Their systems power Bitcoin mining, AI workloads, and high-performance computing, turning a climate liability into a scalable infrastructure opportunity. Each unit offsets emissions equivalent to 142,000 tons of CO₂ annually, while generating revenue from previously wasted energy.
Founder Spotlight
Unblock’s team is deeply motivated by climate impact and they’ve got the experience to back it up.
Founder and CEO Tomas Ocampo brings over 15 years of climate-focused work, with a rare mix of technical depth and entrepreneurial drive. He holds a Master’s in Energy Science and an MBA from Stanford, and previously launched a $150M fund with Argentina’s national oil company (YPF Ventures). He’s also advised some of Japan’s largest energy companies on the energy transition.
We believe that this blend of frontline experience, climate expertise, and global perspective create a unique founder-market-opportunity fit in a category that’s just getting started.
What Got Us Excited
Climate and Community Impact
Gas flaring is not only a carbon issue–it’s a human one. About 7% of flaring operations release unburned methane, a greenhouse gas 86x more potent than CO₂ over 20 years. Unblock’s approach captures and repurposes this energy, reducing GHGs and improving local air quality.
Their digital flare mitigation cuts nitrogen oxide emissions by 89% and volatile organic compounds by 99%, helping reduce health risks like cardiovascular and lung disease for surrounding communities. This is what climate innovation should look like: climate + public health + economics in a single solution.
Rapid scale that meets the growing demand in Latin America
There are over 900 active flares across the region, enough to generate 7.4 GW of electricity, or roughly 13% of global cloud computing demand.
Unblock is already operating the world’s second-largest oilfield-based compute fleet, and two new projects will double their capacity by September to 30MW in total. Their modular systems are inspired by Crusoe’s technology and adapted to Latin America. They are fast to deploy, designed for off-grid locations, and integrate easily with existing oilfield infrastructure. Converting flared gas to energy is just the beginning for Unblock. They are hoping to unlock a global opportunity using otherwise wasted energy, one project at a time.
Unblock is hiring. Visit their website to see how you can join an amazing team building critical infrastructure to fuel a low-carbon world.
Let’s build the future together—one investment, one innovation, and one bold step at a time.