In October 2024, Bain Capital, a leading private multi-asset alternative investment firm, announced a strategic partnership with Aquila Group, a private investment company specializing in sustainable assets, to establish a prominent sustainable data center platform across Europe. As part of this collaboration, Bain Capital acquired an 80% stake in AQ Compute, the data center subsidiary of Aquila Group. (baincapital.com)
Formation of AQ Compute
AQ Compute was founded by Aquila Group in 2020 to address the growing demand for sustainable data center solutions. The company specializes in modular and AI-ready data center and colocation services, primarily powered by clean energy. In early 2024, AQ Compute launched its first sustainable data center near Oslo, Norway, with plans for additional projects in Barcelona, Spain, and Milan, Italy. (baincapital.com)
Strategic Partnership and Investment
The partnership between Bain Capital and Aquila Group aims to significantly accelerate AQ Compute’s expansion plans, with a targeted multi-billion Euro investment. This collaboration seeks to develop and operate sustainable data centers tailored for hyperscale and AI customers across Europe. Bain Capital’s global expertise in the data center industry, including its successful development of Bridge Data Centres in Asia, is expected to support AQ Compute’s growth. (baincapital.com)
Market Opportunity and Vision
Ali Haroon, a Partner at Bain Capital, highlighted the attractive market opportunity in the European data center sector, driven by robust cloud demand, the need for high-performance computing, AI deployments, and data sovereignty across the region. He emphasized that the partnership with Aquila Group brings a renewable energy perspective to address the growing power challenges in Europe’s infrastructure. (baincapital.com)
Commitment to Sustainability
Roman Rosslenbroich, Co-founder and CEO of Aquila Group, emphasized the importance of sustainable data centers in meeting the rapid growth in data demands. He stated that while more data centers are essential, they must operate sustainably. The partnership ensures AQ Compute’s growth aligns with Aquila Group’s long-term vision for sustainable infrastructure, leveraging synergies with Aquila Clean Energy, a major developer and independent power producer in the clean energy space. (baincapital.com)
Future Outlook
The collaboration between Bain Capital and Aquila Group positions AQ Compute to set new standards in sustainable data center operations across Europe. By combining innovative, AI-ready infrastructure with a commitment to sustainability, AQ Compute aims to meet the growing demand for data processing while minimizing its environmental impact. (baincapital.com)
This partnership underscores the increasing importance of sustainable infrastructure in the digital age, addressing the dual challenges of expanding data processing capabilities and environmental responsibility.
