Phocea DC

What Phocea DC does

Phocea DC is a French sovereign data center operator founded in May 2023 by Damien Desanti and headquartered in Paris, with its primary facility (DC-M1) located in Marseille's 3rd arrondissement near the city's submarine cable hub. The company operates a Tier III compliant, 1,700 m² facility with 1.2 MW of power capacity across 250 racks, targeting a PUE of 1.2 via free cooling, high-efficiency inverters, and AI-driven building management on Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure platform. The company also offers full immersion cooling capability reaching approximately 300 kVA per rack. Revenue is generated through three core product lines - colocation (dedicated racks, secured floor space, private suites), connectivity (cross-connect and metro-connect to regional data centers), and proximity/managed services (24/7 on-site technician support) - all priced via a publicly accessible online configurator with monthly billing and commitment-based discounts. Phocea DC targets French government entities, healthcare establishments (HDS-certified), banks (PCI-DSS), digital/tech companies, telecom operators, managed service providers, and regional startups, with a stated value proposition of 100% French ownership and supplier base that insulates customers from US extraterritorial laws. The company raised €5 million in seed funding from Reflexion Capital in January 2024, partnered with Schneider Electric (March 2024) and Megaport (May 2024), and has announced a second site (DC-M2) targeted for 2026 delivery.

Name

Phocea DC

Legal name

SAS PHOCEA DC

Website

https://phocea-dc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Phocea DC is a French sovereign data center operator in Marseille offering Tier III colocation, connectivity, and managed services to government, healthcare, banking, and tech customers seeking immunity from extraterritorial laws.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Data Center Colocation Services

NAICS

Computer Facilities Management Services (541513)

SIC

Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail Colocation (Multi-Tenant Data Centers) (HDABACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interconnection-Focused Colocation (IX / Meet-Me-Room Ecosystems) (HDABACAF), Edge Colocation & Micro Data Centers (HDABACAI)

Keywords

• Colocation services
• Data center hosting
• Sovereign cloud
• Managed colocation
• Network connectivity

Headquarters

HQ city

Marseille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Colocation Services: Primary revenue stream from renting server racks/bays, private suites, and dedicated spaces for HPC and AI solutions. Customers pay recurring fees based on rack space, power consumption, and service level.
2. Connectivity Services: Provides high-bandwidth connectivity and network redundancy, cross-connect services, and metro connect services enabling access to other regional datacenters and cloud providers.
3. Managed Services / Proximity Services: On-site technician services available 24/7 for physical interventions including server restart, indicator verification, cabling management, and hands & eyes services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Phocea DC operates a sovereign, eco-responsible Tier III data center in Marseille (1,700 m², 1.2 MW) providing colocation, connectivity, and 24/7 on-site proximity services to local and national French organizations. The platform rents dedicated rack space (Baie dédiée), private suites, and secured floor surfaces, supported by high-bandwidth network interconnections and Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure AI-powered building management targeting a PUE of 1.2.

Product overview

Phocea DC is a sovereign, eco-responsible data center operator offering a unified hosting platform with three core services: Colocation (racks, dedicated suites, HPC/AI spaces), Connectivity (high-bandwidth with network redundancy), and Proximity Services (24/7 on-site technician support). The Marseille facility (DC-M1) spans 1,700 m² with 1.2 MW capacity at Tier 3 standard. Additional add-on modules include private suites (from 8 racks), secured surface spaces (50-150 m²), cross-connect, metro-connect for regional datacenter access, connected PDUs, hands & eyes support, and CO2 reporting for compliance. A second site (DC-M2) is planned for 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Colocation Services Professional-grade colocation infrastructure for businesses, including rack rental, dedicated suites, and dedicated spaces designed for HPC and AI workloads, featuring cooling systems, redundant electrical supplies, and advanced security.
• Connectivity Services High-bandwidth connectivity and network redundancy services enabling enterprises to maintain reliable communications with clients, partners, and end users, including strategic interconnections with major Marseille data centers.
• Proximity Services (Gestes de Proximité / Hands & Eyes) 24/7 on-site technician availability for physical interventions such as escort services, server restarts, indicator verification, and cabling management.
• DC-M1 Datacenter Facility First datacenter site in Marseille's 3rd arrondissement near submarine cable landings. 1,700 m² footprint, 1.2 MW power capacity, Tier III compliant, targeting a PUE of 1.2, with 250 racks and 600 kW per zone.
• DC-M2 Datacenter Facility Second planned datacenter site in Marseille, with delivery scheduled for 2026.
• Dedicated Rack (Baie dédiée) Standalone colocation rack rental priced at €530/month, with configurable power options starting at 3 kVA per rack and optional kVA consumption pricing.
• Private Suite (Suite privative) Private suite option available from 8 racks, secured by badge-controlled access with HDS certification, priced from €1,490/rack/month.
• Secured Surface (Surface sécurisée) Dedicated secured floor space available in 50 m², 100 m², or 150 m² configurations, priced at €200/month with similar kVA options as the dedicated bay.
• Cross Connect Physical cross-connect service via the ODJ Meet-Me Room at €50/month for interconnection within the datacenter.
• Metro Connect Regional fiber connectivity to other Marseille-area datacenters, with differentiated and redundant physical paths including DLR MRS (€100/month) and DLR MRS2/3/4 or FREE PRO JN01 (€250/month with 60-month minimum).
• Connected PDU Connected power distribution unit option with 2x 32A connected PDUs per bay for power monitoring and management at €200/bay/month.
• CO2 Detailed Invoice Carbon footprint reporting service for ESG and QSE compliance, providing detailed CO2 invoicing to support sustainability reporting.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% reduction in carbon footprint compared to traditional data center offerings
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MegaportcoreTechnology or Integration · 15 May 2024Megaport installed a new Point of Presence (PoP) at Phocea DC's Marseille facility, enabling customers to access on-demand interconnectivity to 850+ data centers across 25 countries and 365+ service providers including AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud, and IBM Cloud.
• Schneider ElectriccoreTechnology or Integration · 7 March 2024Schneider Electric was selected to design and build Phocea DC's Marseille data center. The partnership includes design-build services integrating solutions such as >99% efficiency inverters, ultra-compact low-carbon batteries, free cooling, and EcoStruxure Building Operation supervision system. Schneider Electric provides ongoing technical expertise and innovation for the facility.
• EYminorOthersEY is listed as a client/partner, likely providing advisory services related to financial or regulatory matters.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• OVHcloud: French sovereign cloud and hosting provider with colocation and dedicated server offerings across multiple French sites. Direct comparable for sovereign-by-design positioning against US hyperscalers serving French regulated buyers.
• Scaleway: French cloud and bare-metal provider (Iliad-owned) emphasizing European data sovereignty. Comparable on sovereign, EU-jurisdiction positioning for French enterprises and public sector.
• Data4: French multi-site colocation/wholesale data center operator with significant capacity in the Paris and regional French markets. Direct peer on B2B colocation sales to French enterprises and sovereign-focused positioning.
• Celeste: French B2B telecom and hosting operator offering colocation, fiber, and managed services to mid-market and enterprise customers across France. Comparable on sovereign French hosting with connectivity bundled.
• Nexylan: French sovereign colocation and managed hosting operator serving B2B customers in France, often selected for cloud-act-immune workloads. Comparable on sovereign French hosting for SMEs and mid-market.

Broad incumbents

• Equinix: Global colocation incumbent operating the MR1 IX in Marseille - the same submarine-cable hub Phocea DC targets. Comparable on interconnection-rich colocation in Marseille; vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Interxion (Digital Realty): European colocation leader (now part of Digital Realty) with extensive French and Mediterranean footprint. Comparable on carrier-neutral colocation and interconnection services in France.
• Telehouse: KDDI-owned global colocation operator with Paris presence. Comparable on Tier III colocation offerings to enterprise and carrier customers in France.

Others

• Zayo Group: Global connectivity and dark-fiber provider with a strong Marseille submarine-cable presence. Comparable on the interconnection / metro-connect layer that complements Phocea DC's colocation offering.
• Cogent Communications: Global Tier-1 IP carrier with extensive French metro fiber and cross-connect presence. Comparable as a connectivity building block for colocation tenants in Marseille and Paris.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phocea-dc

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Phocea DC