Blog

Image credit: Leafcloud

Amsterdam-based Leafcloud B.V. has joined NVIDIA Inception, a programme designed to nurture startups advancing AI and data sciences. European cloud services are greener than their US-based counterparts like Microsoft Azure, AWS and Google Cloud. The announcement today shows growing interest in greener cloud solutions as companies focus on cloud sustainability.

Leafcloud Green Cloud solution: what you need to know

Leafcloud is a Dutch startup that claims to offer a truly green cloud solution. The carbon-negative cloud solution is being pitched as a European, open and sustainable alternative to cloud services offered by US-based big tech giants. The digital transformation propelled by the pandemic has seen a number of companies shift to cloud architecture to distribute their services.

🏆 Meet the 20 EIT Digital finalists!

Get to know the amazing finalists here

Get to know the amazing finalists here Show Less

While cloud adoption is growing, companies are increasingly looking at the carbon footprint of their cloud service providers. Leafcloud distinguishes itself from the likes of AWS, Azure and Google Cloud by being European, hosted in the Netherlands and having data centres where at least 50 per cent of the energy is reused.

Leafcloud is able to reuse the heat produced by its servers, which makes it up to ten times more energy efficient. NVIDIA Inception is supporting Leafcloud because of its ability to use this heat to replace fossil fuels at its host locations, which leads to a reduction in overall carbon emissions. Leafcloud says it uses energy twice – first to power its servers and secondly to substitute the use of fossil fuel for heating.

This is possible because of its unique distributed architecture that places Leafcloud servers at locations such as apartment buildings, hotels and other structures requiring year-round heating. The heat generated by the servers is distributed into the local water and heating system. In other words, Leafservers are substituting heat from sources such as natural gas with those generated by its servers.

Leafcloud is able to capture and deliver around 85 per cent of the heat generated by its servers to the heating system at Leaf Sites. Every computer dissipates heat even when the operation is silent and by reusing the heat generated, Leafcloud has found an innovative use case for energy that was previously wasted at major data centres.

As tech companies adopt AI and machine learning, which are run on cloud and can be energy-intensive, Leafcloud offers a solution that can reduce fossil fuel use without any compromise on performance. Leafcloud remains energy efficient without compromising on standard cloud services like compute & GPU, pay as you go option, storage, networking, secure, scalable, reliable, and programmable technology.

NVIDIA Inception programme: what is it and how will it support Leafcloud

NVIDIA Inception is a free programme that helps startups evolve faster by granting them access to cutting-edge technology developed by the computing giant. The programme also helps startups connect with NVIDIA experts, venture capitalists and co-marketing support to expand the visibility of their company.

The programme is designed to help startups that are doing revolutionary work in the field of AI and data sciences. The programme helps these AI-fuelled startups during critical stages of product development, prototyping and deployment. The members of NVIDIA Inception get access to a custom set of benefits such as NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute credits, marketing support and technical assistance.

The programme will offer Leafcloud an opportunity to collaborate with industry-leading experts and other AI-driven organisations. Leafcloud already counts Milieudefensie, Enabl.ist, FeedbackFruits, and others among its clients. With the support of NVIDIA Inception, the green cloud service provider will be able to expand its reach globally and establish itself as a viable alternative to the Amazons and Microsofts of this world.

Thatcher Peskens Chief Business Officer, Leafcloud, says, “Joining the NVIDIA Inception programme was a no-brainer for us. The programme matches our vision for the future of AI and machine learning. Besides this, NVIDIA’s reach is unparalleled, allowing us to explore exciting new opportunities.”