A true technological gem, the Belgian company Calyos specializes in advanced two-phase (liquid-to-vapor) pump-free cooling technologies. Its target markets include data centers, mobility, energy, and defense, where traditional cooling solutions are no longer sufficient.
Based on a patented disruptive technology, Calyos systems operate without moving parts, delivering efficient and sustainable cooling solutions. In 2021, Calyos’ technology was recognized by the Solar Impulse Foundation. In 2026, the company was selected to join the NATO DIANA program, with the goal of accelerating the adoption and deployment of its technology in the defense sector.
Interview with Antoine de Ryckel, CEO of Calyos.
Antoine de Ryckel has always worked in the industry. For the past five years, he has been managing Calyos, a Belgian SME with more than 90% of its activity driven by exports and operating across three major market segments.
The first segment is electric mobility, covering applications in aerospace (Airbus), automotive (General Motors), and maritime sectors. The second segment is computing, including data centers, supercomputers, and laptop-class IT equipment. In this field, Calyos also collaborates with the Austrian company Noctua on the launch of a dedicated cooling solution for gaming equipment. The company is also active in the energy sector, particularly in cooling electronic systems used in energy conversion applications for photovoltaic systems.
Calyos serves global markets in mobility and computing, with a strong presence in Europe and the United States. The company mainly focuses on Europe for the energy and defense sectors.
Valeo and Calyos revolutionize thermal management
“We have just signed an agreement with Valeo, a world leader in automotive technology, to jointly develop and industrialize high-performance, standalone chip cooling solutions for the mobility and computing sectors, addressing the increasing thermal challenges posed by electrification and Artificial Intelligence (AI)” – Antoine de Ryckel.
The explosion of AI is significantly increasing cooling requirements. Is this a major opportunity for Calyos?
Yes, absolutely, because AI chips are now integrated into many types of equipment such as autonomous vehicles, data centers, defense systems, and more. All of these chips generate heat, and designers are of course looking for ways to cool them down!
The technological trends
“The technology developed by Calyos addresses three major technological trends: artificial intelligence, electrification, and sustainability, which promotes low-energy solutions requiring minimal maintenance thanks to the absence of moving parts” – Antoine de Ryckel.
Can European data centers become more energy-efficient thanks to your solutions?
This is clearly one of our objectives (he smiles)! Currently, cooling accounts for between 30 and 40% of the energy consumption of data centers. Optimizing this energy use is therefore a major challenge for the industry.
Do you think cooling will be one of the main bottlenecks for AI growth in the coming years?
Yes, cooling may eventually become a limiting factor for the deployment of AI, even if it is not yet a constraint today.
However, we are observing major shifts in component design: for example, some manufacturers are developing larger chips to improve heat dissipation.
How can your technologies improve battery performance and lifespan?
We have co-conducted cooling tests on batteries used in motorsport and found that better thermal management improves battery lifespan. That said, I should clarify that Calyos is not primarily focused on battery lifespan. Our developments mainly target the cooling of batteries used in ultra-fast charging systems.
Calyos has been selected for NATO’s DIANA program. What does this recognition represent?
This is a very strong recognition, especially as only four Belgian companies were selected! For Calyos, this program is an opportunity to demonstrate the relevance and robustness of its technologies across a wide range of applications: aircraft, PCs, batteries, data centers… in defense. The goal is to align these developments with the work we are doing in the civilian sector. We are clearly operating with a dual-use approach.
What announcement would you like to be able to make in the next two years?
The major challenge will be to break into different markets. I would like to be able to announce the deployment of our technology in the automotive sector as well as in data centers. Accessing these markets would represent a significant scale-up for our company, both in volume and number of deployed units.
Final words?
I would say that today Calyos has promising and unique technologies in Europe, and possibly even worldwide!
Belgium has a rich ecosystem of skills and innovative companies. Although funding is sometimes insufficient, it is essential that Belgian technology players remain mobilized and continue working together in synergy to strengthen the ongoing economic momentum and reinforce Belgium’s position on the international stage.
