TechCrunch Industry News Zanskar thinks 1 TW of geothermal power is being overlooked; plus, consumers spent more on mobile apps than games in 2025
Jan 21, 2026
Zanskar has secured $115 million to explore geothermal resources in the U.S. West, advocating for its undervalued potential. Their innovative use of AI for locating sites has revived projects, showcasing the impact of supervised machine learning. Meanwhile, in 2025, mobile app spending has outpaced gaming, largely fueled by the surge in AI apps, with in-app purchases and downloads skyrocketing. Major players like Google and Microsoft are reshaping the AI app market, leading to dynamic shifts in consumer engagement.
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Hidden Geothermal Potential Is Massive
- Zanskar believes conventional geothermal has been vastly underestimated because many systems lack surface signs.
- The startup uses AI and Bayes-based models to find and validate hidden geothermal resources across the U.S. West.
Successes That Earned Big Funding
- Zanskar revived a failing New Mexico power plant and found two new sites with over 100 MW combined.
- Those wins helped the company secure a $115 million Series C to scale exploration.
Pair ML With Field Validation And Bayes
- Use supervised ML on historical accidental discoveries to prioritize promising geothermal sites.
- Then validate in the field and apply Bayesian evidential learning plus simulation to close data gaps before development.