Amsterdam’s Coolgradient gets funding from 4impact capital to optimise data centre operations through AI

Amsterdam-based Coolgradient, an AI software startup, announced on Monday that it has raised funding from 4impact capital, an impact venture capital fund. 

Besides funding, 4impact capital now joins Coolgradient as a software-specialised investor to support the experienced team in scaling its business internationally. 

Jasper de Vries, Co-Founder and CPO of Coolgradient, says, “We are thrilled to have 4impact join our mission for a more sustainable digital infrastructure. They share our passion, and this investment reflects their commitment to seizing the momentum for our product. This will enable further global expansion and increase the impact we create for our customers.”

What does Coolgradient solve?

Data centres were responsible for 2 per cent of global electricity consumption in 2022, which is expected to increase. 

By 2030, they are expected to use an average of 3.2 per cent of global electricity consumption, with some countries’ estimations being as high as 6 per cent (US) or even 32 per cent (Ireland) by 2026. 

However, due to the numerous variables involved in data centre operations and the fluctuating data and energy demands, data centre operators currently have limited ability to optimise energy and water usage at any given time.

Here’s where Coolgradient comes into play! 

Coolgradient: Optimising power infrastructure operations in data centres

Founded by Jasper de Vries and René Gompel in 2023, Coolgradient aims to reduce 1 per cent of global energy consumed by cooling data centres.

The company’s AI software solution simplifies complex data centre operations by providing detailed visibility into the health of all assets, from the roof to the room. 

Its machine learning models, trained on billions of data points, identify inefficiencies and offer prioritised recommendations for continuous data centre optimisation. 

With a single interface, users can monitor the entire ecosystem from the portfolio level down to individual assets. 

Through this approach, the Dutch company has claimed to achieve up to 40 per cent in energy and water savings, increased reliability and resilience, compliance with sustainability regulations, and improved employee productivity.

The investor

4impact capital is an early-stage impact investor in European digital startups. 

The company supports founders dedicated to advancing sustainability and creating measurable change, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of Planet and People. 

Currently, 4impact capital is investing from its second fund, which they anticipate to close later this year. 4impact plans to invest in around 25 companies that capitalise on the massive opportunity at the intersection of digitisation and sustainability in Europe, focusing on the Benelux, DACH, and Nordic regions.

Victor Straatman, Partner of 4impact, says, “The unrivaled expertise of Jasper, Rene, and their team of people in Amsterdam and across the world make them the obvious choice for many of the world’s leading data centre operators. The need for and benefit of their product is crystal clear. As they become a key component of operating this critical infrastructure globally, we are proud to play a part in Coolgradient’s journey of reducing 1% of all global energy used for data centre cooling while delivering meaningful cost and resource savings to customers.”