TDK signed a definitive agreement to acquire all of Fabric8Labs, a San Diego company founded in 2015 that makes fine metal parts with its electrochemical additive manufacturing (ECAM) process. The price is up to $400 million in cash, split between an upfront payment and a multi-year earnout. TDK plans to use the technology for thermal management components such as cold plates for cooling AI data centers. TDK Ventures had backed the startup since its seed round. The deal TDK announced the definitive agreement on June 10, 2026. Fabric8Labs will become a wholly owned subsidiary once the deal closes. The consideration is all cash. TDK did not disclose how the maximum of $400 million splits between the upfront payment and the earnout, or what targets the earnout depends on. Fabric8Labs will keep its current leadership team after the acquisition, according to EvoNexus, a San Diego incubator that was an early backer. About Fabric8Labs ECAM builds metal parts by depositing metal from a liquid solution at room temperature rather than melting powder. Fabric8Labs aims the process at thermal management for AI and high-performance computing, radio-frequency parts and power electronics. It says its liquid cold plates can cut accelerator temperatures by up to 7°C per kilowatt compared with competing products. That is the company's own claim. In November 2025 the startup raised $50 million in a round led by NEA, with Intel Capital taking part and existing investors Lam Capital, TDK Ventures and SE Ventures joining. Strategy TDK President and CEO Noboru Saito described ECAM as the kind of basic manufacturing innovation TDK seeks, and said the combination would let it supply thermal management systems together with power components for data centers. TDK expects to offer liquid-cooling components within a few years and will also study using the process for its passive components. Fabric8Labs co-founder and CEO Jeff Herman said TDK's global manufacturing network would give the company the resources to scale. Approvals and timeline Closing is subject to regulatory clearances and other customary conditions. TDK has not given a target date, and as of mid-October 2026 no completion announcement was found.
