Scaleway acquires Qarnot to expand cloud and AI platform with high-performance computing and waste heat recovery technology
Type: Acquisition · Technology: Data Center · Country: France · Announced: 2026-07-10
European cloud provider Scaleway acquired Qarnot, a high-performance computing (HPC) specialist, to integrate dedicated HPC capabilities into its cloud and AI platform. The acquisition leverages Qarnot's patented direct liquid-cooling technology, which recovers up to 95% of the heat produced by HPC servers for use in district heating networks, public facilities, and industrial sites without compromising computing performance. Qarnot previously partnered with A2A in Brescia, Italy, to connect HPC infrastructure to the city’s district heating network and wellness centers, demonstrating its waste heat recovery model. Founded around 2010, Qarnot operates over 50,000 computing cores across sites in France and Europe, including Finland, and opened a data center in Italy in June 2025. Scaleway, part of the Iliad Group, launched a new cloud region in Milan, Italy, earlier in 2026 and was selected as a winner of the EU Commission's sovereign cloud tender in April 2026.