The Sharing Group and Leafcloud join forces for sustainable European cloud services

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, January 21, 2025 — The Sharing Group, parent company of sharing initiatives MyWheels, Mijndomein, and Hegg Energy, has acquired a strategic minority stake in Leafcloud. Leafcloud is a Dutch provider of sustainable cloud services, whose servers return residual heat to heat-requiring institutions such as swimming pools and residential care centres. The companies share their ambition to offer a Europewide cloud service with Leafcloud, delivering a positive impact on the environment.

According to research conducted by The Shift Project, software and cloud computing cause three to four percent of global CO2 emissions - more than global aviation emissions - and developments in AI will cause these emissions to increase. Leafcloud provides a solution by placing cloud infrastructure in buildings that can utilise its released heat. Energy that would normally go to waste is converted into a valuable heat source for water and buildings.

The sustainability of The Sharing Group’s own hosting portfolio and that of other market parties are a driving force behind the acquisition of a strategic minority stake in Leafcloud.

Demand for cloud computing is, partly due to AI-development, growing exponentially. McKinsey has projected energy consumption by the European IT-sector to triple over the coming ten years. Leafcloud distinguishes itself in this rapidly growing market as an innovative cloud provider for AI applications, by offering truly sustainable infrastructure. Unlike traditional providers, Leafcloud makes use of existing buildings where the heat emitted by cloud computing is used directly to heat tap water, thus reducing gas consumption. The resulting negative CO2 footprint helps organizations comply with the new EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which requires companies to report and reduce their environmental impact.

Henri de Jong, CEO of The Sharing Group, says: “Leafcloud is set for exponential growth. We are delighted to support the company and its ambitions to set a green European standard in cloud services. In addition, all services of The Sharing Group, such as Mijndomein and Greenhost, will start using this state of the art platform in the near future."

Leafcloud's ambition aligns with the EU's mission to store its own data within the European borders. By focussing on privacy, sovereignty, and sustainability, Leafcloud offers a truly European alternative for cloud computing.

David Kohnstamm, Founder & CSO of Leafcloud, says: "We are excited to welcome this strategic partner. Together with The Sharing Group, Leafcloud will be able to make its products even more accessible and expand to more locations. This will allow us to heat even more buildings with the residual heat from our cloud infrastructure and offer customers a fast, user-friendly, and truly sustainable cloud solution."