What gridscale does

gridscale GmbH is a Cologne-based Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) provider, founded in 2014, that delivers compute, S3-compatible object storage, managed Kubernetes, managed databases, cloud load balancers, and AMD GPU instances from German TIER3 data centres. Its Hybrid Core Concierge product extends the platform to private and hybrid deployments for enterprises that want hyperscaler-scale infrastructure without surrendering on-prem control, and the management suite adds account administration, location explorer, automation tools, and white-label branding for resellers. The platform is operated via a RESTful API and the gscloud CLI, with pay-as-you-grow usage billing and free trials for self-service sign-up.

The company positions itself around German data sovereignty, DSGVO compliance, and BSI C5 certification, alongside ISO 27001/27017/27018/14001, ISAE 3402 SOC I Type 2, and Trusted Cloud certifications, targeting mid-market and enterprise customers in regulated verticals (legal tech, IT services, hosting, telecoms, wind energy, IoT/smart city). Named customers include windcores, RYD GmbH, otris, Asmo IT Systemhaus, Hosttech, SMIGHT (EnBW), and Linet Services. Distribution is hybrid: a self-service API/PLG motion for technical buyers and an enterprise sales motion for regulated workloads, with no channel/reseller model indicated. Go-to-market geography covers Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

Since September 2023 gridscale has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of French cloud provider OVHcloud, which acquired the company to expand its local public cloud footprint in Germany and broaden its European sovereign cloud offering. Headcount is reported in the 51-100 range, and revenue is not publicly disclosed. Strategic emphasis is on combining sovereign infrastructure (BSI C5, German data centres) with an increasingly AI-relevant GPU compute layer, while leveraging OVHcloud's broader European reach.

Name

gridscale

Legal name

gridscale GmbH

Website

https://gridscale.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

gridscale is a Cologne-based German IaaS provider (compute, storage, managed Kubernetes, AMD GPU instances) serving European mid-market and enterprise customers requiring BSI C5-certified data sovereignty, operating as a wholly-owned OVHcloud subsidiary since 2023.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud Infrastructure

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Hybrid & Multi-Cloud Orchestration (Private-Cloud-Centric) (HDABABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

General-Purpose Compute (VMs & Bare Metal IaaS) (HDABAAAA), Cloud-Native Development (Containers, Kubernetes, Microservices) (BPAEACAD), Infrastructure Automation & Configuration Management (IaC) (HDABABAF)

Keywords

• Cloud infrastructure services
• Infrastructure as a service
• Managed kubernetes platform
• Sovereign cloud hosting
• GPU compute instances

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS): Flexible virtualized infrastructure providing compute, storage, and networking resources. Customers configure their solutions via API and pay based on usage. Services are provided on non-exclusive servers, meaning customers share infrastructure while maintaining data isolation.
2. Managed Services: Additional managed service offerings including Managed Kubernetes, Managed Database, and Cloud Load Balancer. Revenue generated through managed service subscriptions.
3. GPU Instances: GPU compute resources for AI/ML workloads, billed on usage basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

gridscale provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) delivered from German-based BSI C5-certified data centers. Its modular cloud platform offers compute, S3-compatible object storage, managed Kubernetes, managed databases, GPU instances, and load balancing for public, private, and hybrid deployments. The Hybrid Core Concierge product adds fully managed datacenter automation software for enterprise customers requiring data sovereignty.

Product overview

gridscale is a modular cloud platform providing Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) for public, private, and hybrid cloud deployments. The platform architecture consists of Compute as the core service, with PaaS offerings including Managed Kubernetes, Managed Database, Object Storage, and Cloud Load Balancer. GPU Instances are available for AI/ML workloads. Hybrid Core Concierge provides fully managed datacenter automation for enterprise customers, while Management Features offer account administration, automation tools, and branding capabilities. The platform is operated by gridscale GmbH, an OVHcloud company headquartered in Cologne, Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Compute Virtual machine deployment and scaling service for workloads, enabling effortless provisioning and scalability of compute resources for enterprise customers via API and panel.
• Object Storage (S3) S3-compatible object storage service for storing and retrieving unstructured data, integrated into the modular cloud portfolio and accessible via API.
• Managed Kubernetes Fully managed Kubernetes service allowing companies to set up configured Kubernetes clusters in minutes with automated management tools, billed as a managed service subscription.
• Managed Database Fully managed database platform service handling database infrastructure management, available as a subscription add-on to the core IaaS services.
• Cloud Load Balancer Load balancing service for distributing traffic across multiple compute instances, available as part of the managed services portfolio.
• GPU Instances AMD GPU instances for AI/ML applications, providing easy deployment of powerful GPUs without complicated setup processes, billed on usage basis.
• Hybrid Core Concierge A fully managed software solution for datacenter automation, providing resource monitoring and managed infrastructure operations for enterprise customers requiring on-premises or hybrid cloud extensions.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hetzner Online: Hetzner is a German hosting and cloud infrastructure provider offering dedicated servers, cloud servers, and storage with a strong focus on the DACH market. It is directly comparable to gridscale as a cost-efficient European alternative to hyperscalers, with overlapping customer segments in regulated industries and developer-focused self-service provisioning.
• DigitalOcean: DigitalOcean is a cloud infrastructure provider focused on SMBs, developers, and startups with simplified compute, managed Kubernetes, managed databases, object storage, and GPU droplets. It is comparable to gridscale's API-first, pay-as-you-grow developer experience and self-service provisioning model, though DigitalOcean operates globally rather than in a European sovereignty niche.
• IONOS (1&1 IONOS): IONOS is a major German cloud and hosting provider offering IaaS, managed Kubernetes, S3-compatible storage, and dedicated servers with European data centers and GDPR compliance. It is a directly comparable sovereign cloud peer serving the same German SMB and enterprise segments with overlapping compute, storage, and managed-service products.
• Akamai (Linode): Linode, now part of Akamai, is a developer-focused cloud provider offering virtual servers, managed Kubernetes, object storage, and GPU instances with a pay-as-you-go model. It is comparable to gridscale's developer-friendly, API-first, transparent pricing approach, though Linode operates globally and does not emphasize European data sovereignty.
• Scaleway: Scaleway is a French cloud provider offering compute (bare metal, virtual instances), managed Kubernetes, object storage, and GPU instances with a strong European sovereignty positioning. It directly competes with gridscale in the EU sovereign cloud market, particularly for developers, startups, and AI/ML workloads requiring EU data residency.
• STACKIT (Schwarz Group): STACKIT is the cloud division of the Schwarz Group (parent of Lidl and Kaufland) offering sovereign cloud infrastructure with German data centers, GDPR compliance, and BSI certifications. It is a directly comparable German sovereign cloud peer targeting regulated industries, retail, and enterprises that require European-only data residency.

Broad incumbents

• OVHcloud: OVHcloud is gridscale's French parent company and a major European cloud infrastructure provider offering bare metal, public cloud, hosted private cloud, and web hosting across 30+ datacenters. It is comparable as a broader European sovereign cloud incumbent — both companies share a positioning around EU data sovereignty and DSGVO compliance, though OVHcloud offers a much wider portfolio and global reach.
• Google Cloud Platform: Google Cloud Platform offers compute (GCE), Kubernetes (GKE), storage, databases, and AI/ML services with European regions. It is comparable as a broad incumbent hyperscaler against which gridscale competes in regulated European workloads, especially as GCP adds sovereign cloud partnerships to address CLOUD Act exposure.
• Microsoft Azure: Microsoft Azure is a global hyperscaler offering compute, storage, managed Kubernetes (AKS), databases, and AI services with German/European data residency options. It is comparable as a broad incumbent competitor in regulated European markets, with Azure increasingly matching compliance certifications but still subject to US CLOUD Act concerns that gridscale explicitly addresses.
• AWS (Amazon Web Services): AWS is the global hyperscaler offering EC2 compute, S3, EKS, RDS, and a broad portfolio of cloud services with expanding European regions and compliance certifications. It is comparable as the dominant alternative that gridscale positions against in regulated European segments where customers seek to avoid US Cloud Act exposure and prefer a sovereign German provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gridscale
• Facebookfacebook.com/gridscale
• Xx.com/gridscaleio

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about gridscale