Helsinki-based DataCrunch, a provider of high-performance AI infrastructure, has raised €55
million in a Series A round to scale its compute platform and advance its
ambition to become Europe’s first AI cloud hyperscaler.
The round was led by byFounders, Skaala, Varma pension fund, and Tesi, with participation from J12 Ventures and angel investors. Debt
financing came from Nordea and Armada Credit Partners, alongside Danske Bank,
Norion Bank, and Local Tapiola.
With this raise, DataCrunch’s total funding reaches €76.5 million since its founding in 2020. The company
already serves major enterprises and innovators, with customers including Sony,
Freepik, Schibsted, 1X, Unbabel, and several leading educational institutions.
One-stop
AI platform
DataCrunch
provides affordable access to compute clusters optimised for AI workloads,
supporting research, training, and inference at scale. It is among the first
globally to deploy NVIDIA’s HGX B200 systems, with B300 and GB300 integration
to follow, ensuring enterprise users access to the most advanced hardware.
The
platform is rapidly evolving with innovations such as:
- Instant Clusters for distributed AI workloads, awarded bronze by
SemiAnalysis’ GPU Cloud ClusterMAX™ — matching Google Cloud and outperforming
100+ providers. - Serverless Containers, enabling high-volume, low-latency inference,
already processing hundreds of millions of requests monthly.
Addressing European AI Independence
Europe’s
AI market is projected to hit $1.4 trillion by 2033, yet US hyperscalers
dominate nearly 70 per cent of the continent’s cloud market, while Europe’s
largest provider holds only 2 per cent. This dependency raises concerns around
sovereignty, compliance, and rising costs.
Operating
out of Finland and Iceland, DataCrunch is tackling this gap with a sovereign,
scalable AI cloud powered 100 per cent by renewable energy, combining high
performance, sustainability, and data locality.
Ruben Bryon, CEO and Co-founder of DataCrunch,
explained:
European
organisations are facing a critical choice: continue depending on foreign cloud
providers or invest in local infrastructure that offers true data sovereignty. This
funding enables us to accelerate our vision of becoming Europe’s first AI cloud
hyperscaler, providing enterprises with cutting-edge infrastructure that keeps
their data secure, their operations compliant, and their environmental impact
minimal. As regulatory, environmental, and technological forces converge, the
company aims to become the default platform for enterprises seeking
high-performance, compliant, and sustainable AI compute in Europe.
Looking ahead, DataCrunch is strengthening its one-stop AI
development platform with new features and upgrades. Upcoming releases include
Managed Kubernetes for cluster management, geographically distributed Object
Storage, and Managed Inference Endpoints with custom acceleration for
cutting-edge generative models. In parallel, the company will enhance existing
capabilities with improvements to Identity Access Management (IAM), APIs,
serverless container cold starts, broader OS image support, and advanced network
automation.
Securing EU-backed AI gigafactory
In partnership with Latvia and international investors, DataCrunch
has submitted a proposal to the European Commission to develop an AI
gigafactory equipped with around 100,000
AI accelerators. Located in Latvia, with potential for additional EU sites, the
facility would provide secure, regulation-compliant compute capacity for
startups, SMEs, and research institutions, fully powered by renewable energy.
Funded by DataCrunch’s investor partners, this project will
further demonstrate DataCrunch’s competence as a provider of large-scale,
secure, and energy-efficient computing infrastructure.
Henrik Rosendahl, board member in DataCrunch, commented:
DataCrunch
exemplifies the type of European tech leadership that’s essential today. As AI
becomes increasingly integral to business operations, European enterprises are
seeking infrastructure partners who not only grasp complex regulatory
landscapes but also share their sustainability values. DataCrunch delivers on
both, while providing access to the most advanced AI compute on the market.
By
maintaining 100 per cent renewable operations at scale, DataCrunch is
positioning itself not just as Europe’s first AI hyperscaler, but also as a
global leader in sustainable, regulation-ready AI infrastructure.
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