Scaleway acquires Qarnot to strengthen its European Cloud & AI platform with low-carbon HPC technology

The acquisition of Qarnot enhances Scaleway's portfolio with dedicated high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities, and brings together two European companies united by a shared commitment to technological independence, open technologies and a more sustainable approach to compute.

Paris, July 10th - Scaleway is announcing today the acquisition of Qarnot, a European specialist in high-performance computing (HPC) for engineering, simulation and research workloads.

High-performance computing has become a critical enabler of industrial competitiveness, powering complex simulations across sectors including aerospace, automotive, energy, manufacturing and life sciences.

With Qarnot, Scaleway adds dedicated HPC capabilities to its Cloud & AI platform, a strategic service increasingly demanded by industrial and financial organisations. The acquisition further strengthens Scaleway's position as the only sovereign European cloud provider offering cloud, AI and dedicated HPC capabilities within a single platform.

A shared vision for Europe's Cloud & AI future

The acquisition is grounded in a strong common DNA between Scaleway and Qarnot across three key areas:

• European foundation: both Scaleway and Qarnot are European companies, with European operations, governed by European jurisdiction, providing their customers immunity to extraterritorial laws.

• Open ecosystem: openness and open source are core values for both companies. Both Scaleway and Qarnot use Open Compute Project standards to guide the design and deployment of their infrastructure, from server architecture to operational practices. Together, they promote interoperability, reduce dependency on proprietary technologies and help prevent customer technology lock-in.

• Responsible growth: both companies believe cloud, AI and HPC must scale more responsibly. Qarnot brings recognised expertise in waste heat recovery, turning server heat into a useful energy resource for cities and industries, complementing Scaleway’s commitment to efficient and scalable European Cloud & AI infrastructure.

Unlocking the value of excess heat

As cloud infrastructure continues to scale, Europe will inevitably consume more electricity. While the industry is already working to improve compute efficiency, one major opportunity remains under-addressed: excess heat.

Qarnot has built its model around recovering and reusing the heat generated by servers. Using patented direct liquid-cooling technology, up to 95% of the heat produced by HPC servers can be recovered and redirected to district heating networks, public facilities and industrial sites, without affecting computing performance.

This model is already deployed in real-world environments, including cities such as Brescia, Italy, where Qarnot partnered with A2A to connect HPC infrastructure to the city’s district heating network, and wellness and aquatic centres, where Qarnot’s server-generated heat contributes to heating waters.

For Scaleway, this expertise strengthens the ambition to build European Cloud & AI infrastructure that delivers more compute while making better use of the heat it generates.

Trusted by Europe's leading industrial and financial organisations

Qarnot's HPC platform already powers compute-intensive workloads for organisations operating at the forefront of engineering and financial services. By providing a fully integrated solution that makes launching complex simulations seamless, it lets teams iterate on designs faster, turn validation cycles from days into hours, and scale on demand to take on studies that would otherwise be constrained by an internal cluster.

Customers include MaiaSpace, Alpine Racing, Natixis, ATR Aircraft illustrating the growing demand for sovereign high-performance computing across industries where simulation, modelling and data security are business critical.

With Scaleway's European reach and the backing of the iliad Group, these capabilities will now become available to a broader range of organisations developing the next generation of industrial, scientific and AI applications.

“The next frontier isn't just more efficient compute. It's making sure the energy we can't avoid consuming creates value twice. Tomorrow's cloud platforms won't only be measured by the performance they deliver, but by how intelligently they use the energy they consume. Qarnot's expertise in waste heat recovery helps us move towards that future” said Damien Lucas, CEO of Scaleway.

“Joining Scaleway gives Qarnot the backing of a major European cloud provider and the iliad Group,” said Clément Pellegrini, CTO of Qarnot. “It gives us the scale, investment capacity and European reach to bring our HPC expertise to more organisations while continuing to build on the principles that shaped Qarnot from the beginning.”

About Scaleway

Scaleway is Europe’s sovereign cloud and AI provider, delivering a secure, transparent, and sustainable platform. We empower organizations of all sizes with open, independent technologies and continuous innovation to build and scale on their own terms.

A subsidiary of the iliad Group, Scaleway combines decades of infrastructure expertise with the agility of a state-of-the-art tech company. With a rapidly expanding network of data centers across Europe, Scaleway offers a comprehensive portfolio of high-performance cloud services, from virtual machines and advanced data management solutions to cloud-native infrastructure and AI-optimized supercomputers. Championing open standards and operating within a fully European framework, Scaleway provides a secure and transparent cloud environment that meets the needs of organizations with the highest digital sovereignty requirements.

Website: https://www.scaleway.com
Press contact: presse@scaleway.com

About Qarnot

Qarnot is redefining the European HPC cloud with a sovereign, intuitive, and cost-efficient platform. Designed for engineers in strategic industries like aerospace, energy, and automotive, Qarnot's HPCaaS solution provides seamless access to thousands of high-end HPC servers, enabling users to run multiple clusters simultaneously and scale workloads effortlessly via web interface, API, or SDKs. Fully operated in Europe, Qarnot's infrastructure ensures data security and compliance while cutting carbon emissions by 80% through innovative heat reuse technology.

Website: https://qarnot.com/
Press contact: press@qarnot.com