Bain Capital Launches ‘hscale’ For Its EMEA Data Centre Push

Bain Capital has officially unveiled hscale, a new hyperscale data centre provider.

It’s a project which is designed to spearhead the private equity firm's ambitious expansion across the EMEA region.

The launch of hscale represents the next step in Bain’s global digital infrastructure strategy – a journey that began in earnest with the acquisition of AQ Compute in October 2024.

hscale will be led by a newly appointed, highly experienced leadership team, and will be underpinned by Bain’s proven strategies from successful data centre investments in Asia and the United States. 

The provider is set to enter the market with backing from a leadership team that has collectively delivered 6.85GW of data centre capacity across EMEA and APAC regions.

Oliver Schiebel, the former CEO of Mainova WebHouse, will be taking the helm as chief executive of this new venture.

 “hscale is set to leverage the robust capabilities and strategic assets of our heritage firm, aligning them with the innovative strategies and global expertise of Bain Capital,” he says.

Multi-billion investment pipeline revealed

The company has outlined plans for substantial investment across key European markets over the coming years.

"With a planned multi-billion Euro investment over the coming years, hscale is poised for rapid expansion," says Michael Huber, Principal at Bain Capital.

The strategic pipeline encompasses over 1GW of projects spanning Milan, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Oslo, Barcelona and Zaragoza.

More than 100MW of capacity is already under construction, positioning the company to deliver near-term solutions to hyperscale clients.

Bain & Aquila’s partnership on sustainability will continue

Aquila Group (the former owner of Bain’s acquisition AQ Compute) is slated to retain a 20% shareholding in hscale and will continue contributing renewable energy expertise.

The partnership with Aquila Group and its subsidiary Aquila Clean Energy will focus on deploying low-carbon technologies for hyperscale customers.

This collaboration aligns with growing industry pressure to reduce the environmental impact of data centre operations as capacity demands surge.

"With access to cleaner energy projects, we will develop future-proof, scalable digital infrastructure tailored to the evolving needs of hyperscalers, driven by the rapid growth of AI and cloud services," explains Oliver.

How will hscale establish itself?

According to its leadership team, hscale is going to position itself as a customer-focused provider, targeting the specific requirements of hyperscale operators in the data centre sector.

"Our friendly, honest and timely customer service sets hscale apart, allowing our customers the quickest journey to market," Oliver says.

The company will officially launch at the Datacloud Global Congress in Cannes this June, where it will serve as a Gold Sponsor.

Chief Technology Officer Abed Jishi will participate in a panel discussion on 5th June, where he is likely to outline the company's strategic vision going forward.

The broader context in the data centre sector

The launch comes amid unprecedented demand for data centre capacity driven by artificial intelligence workloads and cloud service expansion.

Bain Capital's entry into the European hyperscale market intensifies competition in key metropolitan areas already experiencing capacity constraints.

The firm's proven track record in data centre investments across Asia and the United States provides a foundation for its European ambitions.

hscale's focus on bespoke, scalable infrastructure reflects the evolving requirements of major cloud providers seeking purpose-built facilities.

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