Bain Capital Launches hscale: A New Player in Europe's AI-Ready Data Center Market

Bain Capital hscale in European datacenter market

Investment biz Bain Capital is getting further into the datacenter sector with the launch of an operation serving hyperscalers in Europe, potentially positioning itself to benefit from customer unease over US hyperscalers. Given the imaginative name of hscale, the company appears to have been founded on Bain's acquisition of an 80 percent stake in AQ Compute, the datacenter subsidiary of Aquila Group, in October last year. At the time, the pair boasted of a planned multibillion-euro investment to accelerate AQ Compute's strategy to develop and operate sustainable bit barns for hyperscaler and AI customers across Europe. The new operator's website states that it builds data facilities in strategically chosen locations across EMEA, listing Barcelona, Madrid, Milan, and Oslo as its current sites. The company claims to have 100 MW of capacity currently under construction and a 1 GW-plus pipeline in markets that also take in London, Frankfurt, and Zaragoza. With Aquila still keeping a stake in the biz, hscale intends to use its subsidiary, Aquila Clean Energy, to power these datacenters with renewable energy "whenever possible," and to minimize their carbon footprint both during construction and operations. A recent study projected that the AI boom will cause datacenters to emit 3x as much climate-warming carbon dioxide as they would've had the technology never been discovered. Compute sovereignty issues are also becoming a growing concern in Europe since the start of the Trump administration, whose foreign policy highlights thus far include threatening to annex Greenland and dressing down the president of Ukraine in an Oval Office appearance. Google recently expanding its sovereign cloud services in response to worries about data stored on platforms controlled by American firms. Earlier this month, it was reported that Bain was looking to sell off some datacenter interests it has in China, in a deal that could value that business at over $4 billion, according to Reuters. Chindata Group Holdings was said to be facing slower hyperscaler demand and higher competition in China, which may indicate a strategic shift toward regions with higher growth potential. ®

Bain Capital launches hscale to drive data centre expansion in EMEA region

Image: Getty Images/ For illustrative purposes Bain Capital has unveiled hscale, a dedicated hyperscale data centre platform. The announcement marks a significant milestone in Bain Capital's broader EMEA digital strategy, which began with its October 2024 acquisition of AQ Compute. With a leadership team boasting a track record of delivering nearly 7 gigawatts of data centre capacity across EMEA and APAC, hscale is primed to meet soaring demand from hyperscalers driven by the surge in AI and cloud computing. Spearheading the venture is CEO Oliver Schiebel, former head of Mainova WebHouse, supported by a team of industry veterans with deep operational and technical expertise. The company is positioning itself as a customer-first provider of scalable, replicable infrastructure tailored to the complex and evolving needs of hyperscale clients. "Our vision with hscale is to build the fastest route to market for hyperscalers -- combining cleaner energy, high-capacity infrastructure and outstanding service," said Schiebel. "Backed by Bain Capital's global investment strength and operational know-how, we are developing digital infrastructure that is future-proof, sustainable and built for scale." Aquila Group to have a 20 per cent stake in hscale Aquila Group, which sold AQ Compute to Bain Capital last year, remains invested with a 20 per cent stake in hscale. The sustainable asset management firm and its subsidiary, Aquila Clean Energy, will provide critical low-carbon and renewable energy expertise, supporting hscale's ESG commitments and long-term growth goals. Aquila will also back hscale with additional capital investment, underlining its confidence in the venture's trajectory. Michael Huber, principal at Bain Capital, confirmed that the firm plans a multi-billion Euro investment over the next few years, fueling an ambitious pipeline of over 1GW in key European data centre hubs including Frankfurt, London, Milan, Madrid, Oslo, Barcelona, and Zaragoza. More than 100MW is already under construction, enabling hscale to deliver near-term capacity for clients operating on accelerated digital transformation timelines. The platform's official debut will take place at the Datacloud Global Congress in Cannes this June, where hscale will serve as a Gold Sponsor. CTO Abed Jishi is scheduled to join a high-profile panel on June 5th, where he will outline the company's strategic blueprint and technology roadmap. As hyperscale demand intensifies and sustainability becomes a core differentiator, hscale enters the market with a powerful proposition: a purpose-built, AI-ready infrastructure platform backed by two giant s -- Bain Capital and Aquila Group -- that combines global investment muscle with deep sustainability credentials.