Shares of Navitas Semiconductor more than doubled on Thursday, May 21, after the company was named a partner in Nvidia's next-generation data center power architecture, sending the little-known chipmaker into the spotlight.

Navitas, which has fewer than 300 employees and reported $83.3 million in revenue last year, will collaborate with Nvidia to develop a new 800V high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power delivery system aimed at supporting the company's power-hungry AI infrastructure. The announcement sparked a buying frenzy, with Navitas shares surging over 160% to trade above $4.40, pushing the stock into positive territory for the year.

The partnership marks a major milestone for Navitas, which specializes in next-generation gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors. CEO and co-founder Gene Sheridan said in a statement that the company was “proud to be selected by NVIDIA,” noting that its advanced power technologies will help drive the next wave of energy-efficient AI data centers.

Nvidia's new 800V HVDC architecture—detailed in a technical blog post earlier this week—aims to address limitations in existing 54V power distribution systems. As AI data centers scale toward megawatt and even gigawatt power levels, legacy low-voltage setups have become inefficient, requiring massive copper busbars and producing excessive heat.

Navitas' role is to provide compact, high-efficiency power components that can convert and deliver electricity directly from grid-level 13.8 kV AC down to voltages that power GPUs like Nvidia's Rubin Ultra. By streamlining the power conversion process and reducing copper use by up to 45%, the new system promises to boost overall energy efficiency by as much as 5%, cut cooling costs, and reduce maintenance.

The announcement builds on a string of product innovations from Navitas, including the release of the world's first 8.5 kW and 12 kW AI data center power supplies. These designs, powered by GaNFast™ and GeneSiC™ technologies, have demonstrated record-setting power densities and conversion efficiencies above 97%.

Founded in 2014 and based in Torrance, California, Navitas went public via a SPAC merger in 2021. After peaking at $20 shortly after listing, its stock had languished near $2—until Nvidia's endorsement reignited investor interest.

Navitas now joins a select group of Nvidia partners—alongside giants like Infineon, Texas Instruments, Eaton, and Vertiv—tasked with shaping the infrastructure of the AI-powered future.