Bain Capital has announced the launch of hscale, a new hyperscale data center provider, following its acquisition of AQ Compute in 2024. The venture will be led by Oliver Schiebel, a seasoned industry expert and former CEO of Mainova WebHouse.

The leadership team at hscale boasts extensive experience, having collectively delivered nearly 7GW of data center capacity across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. With a planned multi-billion-euro investment, hscale aims to meet the increasing demand for high-density, AI-ready infrastructure. Currently, over 100MW of capacity is under construction, with a pipeline exceeding 1GW in key cities such as Milan, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Oslo, Barcelona, and Zaragoza.

Schiebel emphasized the importance of cleaner energy projects in developing scalable digital infrastructure that meets the evolving needs of hyperscalers. Aquila Group, the previous owner of AQ Compute, retains a 20% stake in hscale and will support its sustainability initiatives through its renewables division, Aquila Clean Energy. This partnership will focus on implementing low-carbon technologies, including liquid cooling and heat reuse, to align with the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals of hyperscalers.

Michael Huber, a principal at Bain Capital, expressed confidence in hscale's potential for rapid growth, describing it as a customer-centric platform designed for quick and scalable buildouts. The official launch of hscale is scheduled for the Datacloud Global Congress in Cannes this June, where CTO Abed Jishi will present the company's vision.

As the demand for data centers continues to rise, the industry faces challenges in meeting national and international reporting requirements by 2025.