Draft:Verne (company)

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If the title of this draft has been disambiguated, submitters and reviewers are asked to check the disambiguated title to see if it is the most useful disambiguation, and, if necessary, rename this draft.

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The disambiguation page for the primary name is Verne (disambiguation). Robert McClenon (talk) 18:48, 27 April 2025 (UTC)}}

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{{Short description|Provider of sustainably powered HPC data centers across the Nordics}}

Verne

Verne (formerly trading as Verne Global){{cite web |last1=Swinhoe |first1=Dan |title=Ardian completes acquisition of Verne from D9, promises data center expansion |url=https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/ardian-completes-acquisition-of-verne-from-d9-promises-data-center-expansion/ |website=Data Centre Dynamics |date=15 March 2024 |access-date=23 April 2025}} is a UK-headquartered data center operator and colocation service provider owned by private equity investment company, Ardian{{cite web |title=Ardian acquires data centre platform Verne in £450m deal |url=https://www.privateequitywire.co.uk/ardian-acquires-data-centre-platform-verne-in-450m-deal/ |website=Private Equity Wire |date=15 March 2024 |access-date=17 March 2025}}. The company operates five data centers, located in Iceland (Keflavik), Finland (Helsinki, Pori and Tampere) and the United Kingdom (London), with plans to build a new facility in Mäntsälä, Finland, announced in December 2024{{cite web |title=Verne expands Nordic presence with sustainable Mäntsälä facility |website=Capacity }}. The company’s customers include BMW{{cite web |title=BMW To Deploy HPC Clusters at Verne Global In Iceland |url=https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/supercomputers/bmw-to-deploy-hpc-clusters-at-verne-global-in-iceland |website=DataCenter Knowledge |access-date=17 March 2025}}, Volkswagen{{cite web |title=Volkswagen Innovates Manufacturing With Move to Verne Global |url=https://www.hpcwire.com/off-the-wire/volkswagen-innovates-manufacturing-move-verne-global/ |website=HPCWire |access-date=17 March 2025}}, Earlham Institute{{cite web |last1=Black |first1=Doug |title=Earlham Institute Moves HPC Workloads to Iceland |url=https://insidehpc.com/2017/02/iceland-hpc/ |website=InsideHPC |date=17 February 2017 |access-date=17 March 2025}}, DeepL{{cite web |last1=Wyndham |first1=Anna |title=Inside DeepL: The World's Fastest-Growing, Most Secretive Machine Translation Company |url=https://slator.com/inside-deepl-the-worlds-fastest-growing-most-secretive-machine-translation-company/ |website=slator |date=15 September 2021 |access-date=17 March 2025}}, Peptone{{cite web |title=Peptone announces a collaboration with NVIDIA and Verne Global to scale its AI-driven protein engineering system |url=https://www.synbiobeta.com/read/peptone-announces-a-collaboration-with-nvidia-and-verne-global-to-scale-its-ai-driven-protein-engineering-system |website=synbiobeta |access-date=17 March 2025}}, Wirth Research{{cite web |last1=Brans |first1=Pat |title=Could Iceland be the best place in the world for high-performance computing? | Computer Weekly |url=https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Could-Iceland-be-the-best-place-in-the-world-for-high-performance-computing |website=Computer Weekly |access-date=17 March 2025}}, ThreatMetrix{{cite web |title=ThreatMetrix extends service delivery network with Verne Global |url=https://thepaypers.com/digital-identity-security-online-fraud/threatmetrix-extends-service-delivery-network-with-verne-global--768099 |website=The Paypers |access-date=17 March 2025}}, Datto{{cite web |title=Datto's gone to Iceland |url=https://constructioncomputing.co.uk/articles/?article_id=6942&Mag=construction |website=Construction Computing |access-date=17 March 2025}}, Unikie{{cite web |title=A high-quality, tailor-made colocation solution |url=https://www.itewiki.fi/p/korkeatasoinen-colocation-ratkaisu-mittatilaustyona |website=itewiki |access-date=17 March 2025}} and ENGYS{{cite web |title=Verne and OCF Power ENGYS' Sustainable HPC Deployment |url=https://londonbusinessjournal.co.uk/2024/06/25/verne-and-ocf-power-engys-sustainable-hpc-deployment/ |website=London Business Journal |date=25 June 2024 |access-date=17 March 2025}}.

History

Verne Global Limited was incorporated on 18 March 2008{{cite web |title=VERNE GLOBAL LTD |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/06537716 |website=Companies House |access-date=17 March 2025}}, operating under the brand name Verne Global.

It opened its first data center campus in Keflavik, Iceland, in 2012. The facility runs on 100% renewable energy, powered by geothermal and hydroelectric power{{cite web |title=Verne data centers: Powering the future of AI and HPC with 100% renewable energy |url=https://arstechnica.com/sponsored/verne-100-renewable-energy-data-center-powering-the-future-of-ai-and-hpc/ |website=ars TECHNICA |date=26 August 2024 |access-date=17 March 2025}}.

In September 2021, Digital 9 Infrastructure (D9I) completed the £231 million acquisition of Verne from a consortium of investors, including Novator Partners, General Catalyst, The Wellcome Trust, and Stefnir{{cite web |last1=Moss |first1=Sebastian |title=Digital 9 Infrastructure acquires Icelandic data center company Verne Global |url=https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/digital-9-infrastructure-acquires-icelandic-data-center-company-verne-global/ |website=DCD |date=6 September 2021 |access-date=17 March 2025}}. In 2022, D9 Infrastructure portfolio companies Volta Data Centres (operating a data center in the United Kingdom) and Ficolo (operating three data centers in Finland), were integrated into the Verne Global brand{{cite web |title=Verne Global and Volta announce new data centre partnership |url=https://datacentremagazine.com/articles/verne-global-and-volta-announce-new-data-centre-partnership |website=DataCentre magazine |date=23 September 2022 |access-date=17 March 2025}}, {{cite web |title=Verne Global and Ficolo begin collaboration on northern European data centre platform |url=https://www.intelligentcio.com/eu/2022/10/19/verne-global-and-ficolo-begin-collaboration-on-northern-european-data-centre-platform/ |website=Intelligent CIO |access-date=17 March 2025}}.

In March 2024, following a sale agreement for £450 million, Paris-based private equity firm Ardian completed the acquisition of Verne{{cite web |title=Ardian acquires data centre platform Verne in £450m deal |url=https://www.privateequitywire.co.uk/ardian-acquires-data-centre-platform-verne-in-450m-deal/ |website=Private Equity Wire |date=15 March 2024 |access-date=17 March 2025}}. After the Ardian acquisition, the company began operating under the Verne name{{cite web |last1=Gunnelius |first1=Kim |title=Verne Finland co-founder |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roAqL7K_O3Q |website=YouTube |date=16 January 2023 |access-date=2025-03-17}}).

Data centers

Verne operates five data centers in the Nordics and the UK.

Its Keflavik data center campus in Iceland is located on a former NATO base{{cite web |last1=Moss |first1=Sebastian |title=Moving HPC into a military base |url=https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/analysis/moving-hpc-military-base/ |website=DCD |date=29 October 2020 |access-date=17 March 2025}} and powered by 100% renewable energy sources{{cite web |title=Verne data centers: Powering the future of AI and HPC with 100% renewable energy |url=https://arstechnica.com/sponsored/verne-100-renewable-energy-data-center-powering-the-future-of-ai-and-hpc/ |website=ars TECHNICA |date=26 August 2024 |access-date=17 March 2025}}. Supporting High Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) workloads, the campus has a potential capacity of 140MW{{cite web |last1=Keane |first1=Jonathan |title=Verne Global is building on Iceland's potential as a data centre hub |url=https://tech.eu/2015/01/13/verne-global-iceland-potential-data-centre-hub/ |website=Tech.EU |date=13 January 2015 |access-date=23 April 2025}}. Iceland’s climate means the data center can leverage free cooling 365 days of the year{{cite web |title=Verne Global is building on Iceland's potential as a data centre hub |url=https://tech.eu/2015/01/13/verne-global-iceland-potential-data-centre-hub/ |website=Tech.eu |date=13 January 2015 |access-date=17 March 2025}}.

The company’s Helsinki data center is in the municipality of Vantaa, Finland. Operating on 100% renewable power, the site re-uses waste heat to power the local heating system{{cite web |title=Verne Expands Helsinki Datacenter to Meet AI and HPC Demand |url=https://www.datacenter-forum.com/datacenter-forum/verne-expands-helsinki-datacenter-to-meet-ai-and-hpc-demand |website=Datacenter Forum |access-date=17 March 2025}}. In 2025, Verne announced that it had acquired additional land to exapnd in Vantaa, with plans to add two liquid cooling-enabled buildings to the 70MW campus{{cite web |title=Verne Expands Helsinki Datacenter to Meet AI and HPC Demand |url=https://www.datacenter-forum.com/datacenter-forum/verne-expands-helsinki-datacenter-to-meet-ai-and-hpc-demand |website=Datacenter Forum |access-date=17 March 2025}}.

Verne’s Pori data center in Finland is built in an underground tunnel complex and ex-ammunition storage depot{{cite web |title=Data Centre of the Month: Pori Data Centre, Finland (Verne) |url=https://www.capacitymedia.com/article/2dajsz5cyyffiizzwxds0/feature/data-centre-of-the-month-pori-data-centre-finland-verne |website=Capacity |date=31 May 2024 |access-date=17 March 2025}}. This 11MW facility is naturally cooled, with an internal temperature of eight degrees Celsius all year round{{cite web |title=Data Centre of the Month: Pori Data Centre, Finland (Verne) |url=https://www.capacitymedia.com/article/2dajsz5cyyffiizzwxds0/feature/data-centre-of-the-month-pori-data-centre-finland-verne |website=Capacity |date=31 May 2024 |access-date=17 March 2025}}. The facility runs on 100% renewable energy supplies, including from its own solar plant{{cite web |title=Verne Global transitions its Finnish underground data center to liquid cooling |url=https://techhq.com/2023/12/verne-global-transitions-underground-data-center-finland-to-liquid-cooling/ |website=T_HQ |date=6 December 2023 |access-date=17 March 2025}}. In December 2023, Verne announced the data center was transitioning to liquid cooling{{cite web |title=Verne Global transitions its Finnish underground data center to liquid cooling |url=https://techhq.com/2023/12/verne-global-transitions-underground-data-center-finland-to-liquid-cooling/ |website=T_HQ |date=6 December 2023 |access-date=17 March 2025}}.

The company also operates a data center facility in Tampere, Finland, which is 100% wind-powered{{cite web |title=Verne Global - The Deck |url=https://www.datacentermap.com/finland/tampere/ficolo-the-deck/ |website=DataCenter Map |access-date=17 March 2025}}.

Verne’s United Kingdom data center is in Clerkenwell, close to the City of London’s financial district{{cite web |title=Verne Global to manage Volta data centre in London |url=https://www.techerati.com/news-hub/verne-global-to-manage-volta-data-centre-in-london/ |website=Techerati |date=22 September 2022 |access-date=17 March 2025}}.

In December 2024, Verne announced plans to build a new 10-hectare, 70MW data center campus, in Mäntsälä, Finland{{cite web |title=Verne expands Nordic presence with sustainable Mäntsälä facility |website=Capacity }}. Construction of this renewable-energy powered facility is expected to begin mid-2025, with completion expected by 2027{{cite web |title=Verne expands Nordic presence with sustainable Mäntsälä facility |website=Capacity }}.

Environmental Impact

Verne’s Keflavik data center is reported to be one of the first in the world to run on 100% renewable energy{{cite web |title=Verne data centers: Powering the future of AI and HPC with 100% renewable energy |url=https://arstechnica.com/sponsored/verne-100-renewable-energy-data-center-powering-the-future-of-ai-and-hpc/ |website=ars TECHNICA |date=26 August 2024 |access-date=17 March 2025}}. In August 2022, the company publicly reported its sustainability metrics to provide complete transparency over the environmental impact of its operations in Iceland{{cite web |title=Verne Global goes public on sustainability metrics |url=https://datacentre.solutions/news/63967/verne-global-goes-public-on-sustainability-metrics?httk=1088 |website=DataCentre Solutions | date=8 August 2022 }}.

The company’s three data centers in Finland all run on 100% renewable energy{{cite web |title=Verne Expands Helsinki Datacenter to Meet AI and HPC Demand |url=https://www.datacenter-forum.com/datacenter-forum/verne-expands-helsinki-datacenter-to-meet-ai-and-hpc-demand |website=Datacenter Forum |access-date=17 March 2025}} {{cite web |title=Verne Global transitions its Finnish underground data center to liquid cooling |url=https://techhq.com/2023/12/verne-global-transitions-underground-data-center-finland-to-liquid-cooling/ |website=T_HQ |date=6 December 2023 |access-date=17 March 2025}} {{cite web |title=Verne Global - The Deck |url=https://www.datacentermap.com/finland/tampere/ficolo-the-deck/ |website=DataCenter Map |access-date=17 March 2025}} with back-up systems powered by renewable diesel from Neste{{cite web |title=Verne partners with Neste for renewable diesel in Finland |url=https://datacentrenews.uk/story/verne-partners-with-neste-for-renewable-diesel-in-finland |website=DataCentreNews |access-date=17 March 2025}}.

Waste heat generated by its data center in Helsinki is transferred to the local district heating network{{cite web |title=Verne Expands Helsinki Datacenter to Meet AI and HPC Demand |url=https://www.datacenter-forum.com/datacenter-forum/verne-expands-helsinki-datacenter-to-meet-ai-and-hpc-demand |website=Datacenter Forum |access-date=17 March 2025}} and its Pori data center has its own solar plant{{cite web |title=Verne Global transitions its Finnish underground data center to liquid cooling |url=https://techhq.com/2023/12/verne-global-transitions-underground-data-center-finland-to-liquid-cooling/ |website=T_HQ |date=6 December 2023 |access-date=17 March 2025}}.

Verne is a member of the Coalition for Sustainable AI{{cite web |title=Which Companies are in the Coalition for Sustainable AI? |url=https://sustainabilitymag.com/articles/which-companies-are-in-the-coalition-for-sustainable-ai |website=Sustainability magazine |date=12 February 2025 |access-date=17 March 2025}} and a signatory of the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact{{cite web |title=Signatories |url=https://www.climateneutraldatacentre.net/signatories/ |website=Climate Neutral Data Center |access-date=17 March 2025}}

Draft:Verne (company)

References