A Smarter, Safer Way to Run AI: Vancouver’s LōD Technologies
Canada faces a unique AI problem—not a lack of talent or technology, but rather an adoption gap. Despite the potential of generative AI to contribute an estimated $187 billion annually to the Canadian economy by 2030, only 12.2 percent of Canadian firms have integrated AI into their operations over the past year. This statistic places Canada among the lowest in global competition and exacerbates existing productivity challenges.
The Challenge of Energy Costs
Medi Naseri, CEO of Vancouver’s LōD Technologies, identifies the main hurdle: managing energy costs and performance. AI tools, including large language models and deep-learning systems, require substantial compute power. The International Energy Agency projects that global electricity demand from data centers could more than double by 2030, largely driven by AI.
For organizations operating AI at scale, each AI request becomes a significant business decision. The costs can escalate rapidly, especially when requiring faster responses, leading to monthly bills potentially reaching into the millions.
Building Control into AI
LōD Technologies saw an opportunity within this challenge. Founded in 2021, the company initially focused on helping data centers optimize energy costs in deregulated electricity markets. They developed tools that allow operators to respond in real-time, scaling compute resources based on energy prices.
As generative AI gained traction, LōD began exploring how to apply its energy expertise to AI workloads. However, they encountered a significant compliance issue: routing AI requests across multiple servers raised questions about data governance and user control over data routing.
“Governance became a huge focus for us while we were designing this platform,” said Naseri. The lack of tools to track data routing has led many companies to delay AI implementations, as employees resort to using personal AI accounts like ChatGPT and Claude, increasing organizational risks.
Introducing CLōD: An AI Inference Platform
In response, LōD launched CLōD, an AI inference platform designed to act as an intelligent gateway between companies and the models they utilize. Unlike other tools focusing solely on governance or cost optimization, CLōD offers comprehensive control across multiple dimensions, including:
- Cost Management
- Latency Optimization
- Model Routing
- Governance
- Energy Efficiency
Users can define their own rules regarding data handling, routing, and model performance, with the platform enforcing these rules automatically. This capability is crucial for organizations in heavily regulated sectors like healthcare and finance, where strict data policies govern AI adoption.
Energy Optimization and Future Growth
LōD’s energy optimization feature is set to launch soon, leveraging their expertise in data center energy management to intelligently manage compute resources based on real-time energy pricing. Earlier this year, LōD was selected for Google’s AI for Energy accelerator, collaborating with Google’s data center and AI teams to refine their approach.
Naseri stated that LōD undergoes annual SOC 2 Type 2 audits, a standard for organizations handling sensitive data. This commitment to compliance and control is pivotal for unlocking AI adoption in industries hesitant to move forward due to regulatory concerns.
Unlocking Adoption through Predictability
LōD has expanded from eight to eighteen employees in the past year, with plans for another funding round in 2026. The company’s success so far demonstrates Vancouver’s potential as a global innovation hub, though more investment is needed to scale such technologies.
As organizations seek to bridge the AI adoption gap, the solution lies not just in enhancing AI’s capabilities but in making it more predictable. Improved control over costs, latency, routing, and governance enables organizations to adopt AI with confidence, paving the way for a future where reliable AI becomes a norm.
“We are building decentralized infrastructure for reliable AI,” Naseri concluded. “As AI usage grows and energy concerns escalate, we aim to provide reliable AI compute to the public and builders.”
For a limited time, join CLōD’s exclusive program designed to offer tailored AI governance solutions and expert consulting.
