What SmartDC Heerlen does

SmartDC is a Dutch carrier-neutral data center operator founded in 2009 and headquartered in Rotterdam, Netherlands, operating four facilities across Rotterdam, Heerlen, Paris, and Montreal. The company provides colocation, connectivity, and Remote Hands services to enterprise and mid-market customers in sectors including IT services, managed services, energy, telecommunications, and gaming, with a stated focus on organizations requiring high uptime, regulatory compliance, and freedom of network provider choice. Named customers include Conscia Nederland, Greenchoice, Kwebbl, Sona Business, Snel.com, and Nedcomp, and the company positions itself as part of the FLAP (Frankfurt-London-Amsterdam-Paris) connectivity corridor.

SmartDC's product portfolio is structured in three colocation tiers — Full Rack (46/47U, peak load to 32 Amps), Private Cage (10+ racks with shared cooling and power), and Private Suite (16+ racks with dedicated cooling, power, fire detection, and security) — supplemented by Cloud Connect (direct links to AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud), Carrier access (20+ transit providers and internet exchanges including BT, Zayo, Colt, Cogent, KPN, AMS-IX, NL-ix, DE-CIX, and BBIX), Fiber to the Office, and Remote Hands technical support. The technical foundation is a modular suite concept that allows customers to operate autonomous mini-datacenters inside a shared facility, redundant interconnection of Heerlen and Rotterdam for a Twin Data Center Strategy, a 23 kV industrial grid connection at Rotterdam, and an innovative heat pump residual heat recovery system that improves PUE from 1.35 to 1.15 and supplies heating to the adjacent Van Nelle Factory, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Certifications include ISO 27001 and NEN 7510 (since January 2019) for Rotterdam and Heerlen, BORG 3 physical security at Rotterdam, with ISO 27001 and NEN 7510 scheduled for Paris in 2027.

SmartDC generates revenue through recurring annual subscriptions for colocation space, power, and cooling, with quote-based pricing tailored to customer requirements; the company does not publicly disclose pricing. The go-to-market is consultative direct enterprise sales supplemented by partner-led referral through carriers, internet exchanges, and cloud providers. SmartDC is a private limited company (Smartdc B.V.) operating as a subsidiary of i3D.net through a sister-company relationship, with a lean direct headcount (1-10 listed employees) and no external funding rounds disclosed.

Name

SmartDC Heerlen

Legal name

Smartdc B.V.

Website

https://smartdc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SmartDC is a Dutch carrier-neutral data center operator providing colocation, connectivity, and Remote Hands services across facilities in Rotterdam, Heerlen, Paris, and Montreal, serving enterprise and mid-market customers requiring high uptime and network provider choice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Data Center Colocation Services

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171)

SIC

Services-Telephone Interconnect Systems (7385)

akta.pro primary industry

Managed Colocation & Remote Hands Services (HDABACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Carrier Hotels & Network-Dense Colocation (HDABACAE), Carrier-Neutral Interconnect & Meet-Me Room (MMR) Services (HDABALAD)

Keywords

• Colocation services
• Carrier-neutral data center
• Private suite hosting
• Cloud connect solutions
• Data center connectivity

Headquarters

HQ city

Heerlen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Colocation Services: SmartDC provides colocation services including full rack space (46/47U, peak load up to 32 Amps), private cages (from 10 racks), and private suites (fully enclosed spaces from 16 racks). Revenue is generated through recurring colocation fees based on space, power, and cooling requirements. The company offers both managed and unmanaged options.
2. Connectivity Services: Carrier-neutral connectivity services including direct connections to carriers, internet exchanges, and major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud). Revenue from cross-connects and connectivity services.
3. Remote Hands: On-site technical support services for customers requiring assistance with equipment maintenance, cable management, and other hands-on tasks at the data center facility.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SmartDC provides carrier-neutral colocation services through data center facilities in Rotterdam (HQ), Heerlen, Paris, and Montreal. Core offerings include Full Rack colocation (46/47U up to 32 Amps), Private Cages (from 10 racks), and Private Suites (fully enclosed spaces from 16 racks with own cooling, power, fire detection, and security systems). Connectivity products span Cloud Connect (direct links to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), access to 20+ in-house carriers and internet exchanges (AMS-IX, NL-ix, DE-CIX), Fiber to the Office, and Remote Hands technical support. The facilities operate on 100% renewable energy with ISO 27001, NEN 7510, and BORG 3 certifications.

Product overview

SmartDC is a performance-focused data center operator offering colocation services through a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of Rackspace hosting (Full Rack and Private Cage configurations) and Private Suite solutions, supplemented by Connectivity products (Cloud Connect for direct public cloud connections, Carrier access, and Fiber to the Office), plus Remote Hands support services. Data centers are located in Rotterdam (primary facility), Heerlen, Paris, and Montreal, with a Twin Data Center Strategy enabling redundancy across locations. The company operates carrier-neutral facilities in the FLAP region (Frankfurt-London-Amsterdam-Paris) providing hybrid IT infrastructure for businesses requiring high uptime and connectivity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full Rack Colocation Secured full rack space (46/47U) with peak load up to 32 Amps, including shared cooling, power, and security. Rack reservation is available. Targeted at customers requiring dedicated rack space within SmartDC's carrier-neutral facilities.
• Private Cage Colocation Private cage hosting starting from 10 racks with vertical PDUs available, own secure rack door, and shared cooling and power. Designed for customers needing enclosed, secure multi-rack space within SmartDC facilities.
• Private Suite

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.9999% average uptime achieved historically
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration23 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Telia CarriercoreTechnology or Integration · 17 February 2021Telia Carrier established a 100GE Point of Presence at SmartDC Rotterdam, providing customers with direct access to the world's #1 IP backbone (per Dyn Research) spanning over 120 cities in 35 countries. First expansion by Telia Carrier in the Netherlands outside Amsterdam area.
• AMS-IXcoreTechnology or IntegrationAMS-IX (Amsterdam Internet Exchange) operates interconnection platforms and peering points for over 25 years. Has expanded its data center footprint to SmartDC Rotterdam with a Point of Presence. AMS-IX is one of the world's largest internet exchanges with peak traffic over 10 Terabit per second.
• ArelioncoreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal network operator connecting world's largest network operators and content providers on their fiber backbone.
• BBIXcoreTechnology or IntegrationBBIX specializes in IXP services, IP transit and more, supporting clients to expand and backup bandwidth with scalability, flexibility and cost efficiency. Expanded its Internet Exchange into SmartDC Rotterdam.
• BTcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of fixed-line, broadband, and mobile services, as well as subscription television and IT services with operations in around 180 countries.
• Cogent CommunicationscoreTechnology or IntegrationOne of the world's largest internet Service Providers, delivering high-quality internet, ethernet, and colocation services.
• ColtcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of world-class global network and voice services: optical, ethernet, cloud, cybersecurity, capital markets, business internet & VPN, and voice.
• euNetworkscoreTechnology or IntegrationBandwidth infrastructure company with dense fiber networks in 17 cities and a long-haul network spanning 15 countries.
• EurofibercoreTechnology or IntegrationA fiber optic network covering the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Germany, with their own data centers in the Netherlands and France.
• i3D.netcoreTechnology or IntegrationA global high-performance hosting provider with its own low-latency network, offering solutions for Game Studios, IT Enterprises, and WebRTC. i3D.net core routers are located in SmartDC Rotterdam, replaced with Juniper MX10008 routers in 2019.
• KPNcoreTechnology or IntegrationKPN provides internet, television, and mobile connections in the Netherlands and is recognized as the world's most sustainable telecom company.
• Liberty GlobalcoreTechnology or IntegrationOne of the world's leading converged video, broadband, and communications companies, operating in six European countries.
• LumencoreTechnology or IntegrationLumen is a multinational technology company that enables companies to capitalize on emerging applications and power the 4th Industrial Revolution.
• NL-ixcoreTechnology or IntegrationThe Neutral Internet Exchange is the largest international Interconnect Exchange with 616 member networks and operating leading Internet Exchanges in Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Brussels, Paris, Marseille, and London.
• RETNcoreTechnology or IntegrationRETN has extensive ownership of an international fiber network spanning over 132,000km and encompassing approximately 865+ PoPs.
• VodafoneZiggocoreTechnology or IntegrationVodafoneZiggo is a Dutch company that provides fixed, mobile, and integrated communication and entertainment services to consumers and businesses.
• ZayocoreTechnology or IntegrationNetwork solutions provider powering & protecting customers through bandwidth connectivity over an excellent global network infrastructure.
• Amazon Web ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationCloud partner providing on-demand cloud computing platforms and APIs. SmartDC offers direct connections from its data centers to AWS.
• Google CloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationCloud partner offering suite of cloud computing services. SmartDC provides direct connectivity to Google Cloud Platform.
• Microsoft AzurecoreTechnology or IntegrationCloud partner offering cloud computing service for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications through Microsoft-managed data centers. SmartDC offers direct connections to Azure.
• Dutch Data Center AssociationcoreOthersThe DDA unites leading data centers in the Netherlands with a common mission to strengthen economic growth and profile the data center sector to government, media, and society. SmartDC (via parent i3D.net) is a founding member.
• SURFcoreTechnology or IntegrationSURF is an association of educational and research institutions enhancing digital services and sharing knowledge to create a better web. Provides network connectivity for IT facilities, secure access to services and education platforms, and storage/processing of research data.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Equinix: Global leader in carrier-neutral colocation and interconnection with dense FLAP-region IBX facilities. Most direct competitor to SmartDC's carrier-neutral, IXP-rich Rotterdam/Heerlen positioning, with comparable AMS-IX/DE-CIX peering and cloud-connect offerings at much larger scale.
• Digital Realty: Largest global wholesale and retail colocation provider following the Interxion merger; operates major Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt campuses. Direct overlap with SmartDC's full-rack, private-suite and cloud-connect offerings in the same FLAP corridor.
• Iron Mountain Data Centers: Rapidly expanding carrier-neutral colo operator with Amsterdam and Paris facilities, emphasizing sustainability and compliance certifications. Competes head-to-head with SmartDC for regulated, sustainability-focused European enterprise workloads.
• Telehouse (KDDI): Long-standing carrier-neutral colocation operator with flagship Paris and London sites, anchored by rich carrier ecosystems and internet exchange peering. Closest analog to SmartDC's MMR-led connectivity value proposition in Western Europe.
• Colt Data Centre Services: European-focused carrier-neutral colocation provider with facilities in Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam and Paris, integrated with Colt's own fiber network. Closely mirrors SmartDC's bundled carrier-plus-colo go-to-market in the FLAP region.
• Interxion (a Digital Realty company): Pre-merger European carrier-neutral colo leader known for dense carrier and cloud connectivity in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris and Brussels. Effectively the scale benchmark SmartDC competes against for FLAP interconnection-driven colocation.
• maincubes: European carrier-neutral colocation operator headquartered in Frankfurt with facilities in Amsterdam, Frankfurt and (planned) Düsseldorf. Comparable mid-size direct competitor with similar sustainability focus and carrier-dense MMR model.
• NorthC Datacenters: Netherlands-headquartered regional colocation operator with multiple Dutch sites, competing for the same Dutch enterprise and carrier-driven workload as SmartDC's Heerlen and Rotterdam facilities.

Others

• euNetworks: Bandwidth infrastructure company and SmartDC partner; operates its own fiber and colocation-adjacent facilities across 17 European cities. Useful adjacent peer given SmartDC's reliance on euNetworks for long-haul fiber connectivity.

Broad incumbents

• i3D.net (parent / sister company): Parent and sister company of SmartDC; global high-performance hosting and low-latency network provider. While not a pure colo peer, it shares operational DNA, anchor-tenant status and gaming/CDN workload profile, making it the closest internal benchmark for SmartDC's commercial model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smart_dc
• Facebookfacebook.com/SmartDC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smartdc

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 SmartDC Heerlen