DataCrunch, a Helsinki-based provider of AI infrastructure, has secured €55 million in Series A funding to expand its cloud platform and pursue plans for an EU-backed AI gigafactory in Latvia. The round was led by byFounders, Skaala, Varma pension fund, and Tesi, with contributions from J12 Ventures, angel investors, and debt financing provided by Nordea, Armada Credit Partners, Danske Bank, Norion Bank, and LähiTapiola (Local Tapiola). The company develops GPU-based compute clusters for AI training and inference and counts enterprises such as Sony, Freepik, and Schibsted among its users. The new capital will be directed toward scaling infrastructure, adding staff, and integrating NVIDIA’s latest-generation systems, while the proposed gigafactory aims to provide EU-based, renewable-powered capacity for large-scale AI workloads.
DataCrunch is building a one-stop platform for AI development, enabling fast, affordable access to compute clusters optimised for AI workloads; supporting everything from research and training to inference at scale. DataCrunch is among the first globally to deploy NVIDIA’s HGX B200 systems and will soon integrate the B300 and GB300 – offering enterprise users access to the latest high-performance compute. With this new investment, the company will expand its infrastructure, team, and service offerings with the deployment of NVIDIA’s latest-generation systems. DataCrunch has also submitted a proposal to the European Commission for the development of an AI gigafactory dedicated to AI model training and inference in Latvia.
Founded in 2020 by CEO Ruben Bryon, this Series A brings DataCrunch’s total capital raised to €76.5/$89 million. DataCrunch is already serving the needs of large-scale enterprises and AI innovators alike with current customers including Sony, Freepik, Schibsted, 1X, Unbabel, and multiple educational institutions.
Europe’s growing AI market – projected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2033 – faces a critical infrastructure challenge. US tech giants Amazon, Google and Microsoft dominate nearly 70% of the European cloud market, whilst the continent’s largest provider accounts for just 2%, creating a growing dependency on non-European hyperscalers and raising concerns around data security, rising costs, and regulatory compliance.
DataCrunch is addressing this imbalance by building a secure, sovereign, and scalable AI cloud rooted entirely in Europe. With operations based in Finland and Iceland – two countries at the forefront of the energy transition – DataCrunch delivers infrastructure that is high-performance, cost-efficient, and 100% powered by green energy.
DataCrunch has emerged as one of the few viable competitors to US-based hyperscalers, addressing growing demand from European enterprises for access to advanced hardware without compromising on data locality or sustainability. DataCrunch has been rapidly evolving its platform with major product innovations that meet a wide range of requirements from European enterprises, AI innovators, and research organizations. The recent releases include:
Instant Clusters for distributed AI workloads, which were awarded bronze in The GPU Cloud ClusterMAX™ Rating System by the industry analysts SemiAnalysis – matching Google Cloud Platform and surpassing 100+ other providers included in the evaluation.
Serverless Containers enabling high-scale, low-latency AI inference at scale – handling hundreds of millions of requests per month.
Looking ahead, DataCrunch is extending its commitment to equipping the leading AI innovators with a one-stop AI development platform.
The forthcoming releases include: Managed Kubernetes for cluster management, geographically-distributed Object Storage, and Managed Inference Endpoints with custom acceleration for the state-of-the-art generative models.
A wide range of improvements will enhance already existing capabilities, such as Identity Access Management (IAM) control, API, cold starts of Serverless Containers, wider support of OS images, and Network Automation.
“European organisations are facing a critical choice: continue depending on foreign cloud providers or invest in local infrastructure that offers true data sovereignty,” said Ruben Bryon, CEO and Co-founder of DataCrunch. “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.”
In collaboration with the Republic of Latvia and international investor partners, DataCrunch has submitted a formal expression of interest to the European Commission for the development of an AI gigafactory dedicated to AI model training and inference, deploying around 100,000 AI accelerators.
The facility will focus on ensuring secure, regulation-compliant AI compute capacity within EU jurisdiction, providing critical compute resources for startups, SMEs, and research institutions across the EU, and utilising up to 100% renewable energy. It will be situated in Latvia, with a project structure that accommodates the inclusion of additional sites across the EU, as well as welcoming additional parties to join the initiative.
This marks a significant step towards strengthening Europe’s capacity to meet growing AI infrastructure needs. 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.
DataCrunch has expanded its team to 60 employees representing 27 different nationalities, primarily based in Helsinki, reflecting the company’s commitment to building a diverse, international workforce. This growth supports the company’s expanding service offerings and growing customer demand across Europe.
The company’s commitment to environmental responsibility sets it apart in the AI infrastructure space, maintaining 100% renewable energy operations even while growing to hyperscaler levels – a combination rarely achieved in the industry.
“DataCrunch exemplifies the type of European tech leadership that’s essential today,” said Henrik Rosendahl, board member in DataCrunch. “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.”
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Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/datacrunch-raises-e55-million-series-a/
