Svante Horn, co-founder of Scandinavian Data Centers, discussed his unexpected journey into the data center industry.
Initially studying at Dartmouth College, he began his career in banking at Morgan Stanley's M&A division in London, which he disliked.
Seeking a more entrepreneurial path, he transitioned to Merrill Lynch's fixed-income market, where he met individuals who had purchased a military bunker in Sweden to convert into a data center.
Horn contributed his financial expertise to help develop the business plan, raise capital, and act as interim CEO. This led to the creation of Rockan Data Center, which met NATO security standards.
This project marked the inception of Scandinavian Data Centers, though Horn felt they missed the aspect of sustainability, which he aimed to incorporate into future projects.
This video is excerpted from the podcast Ep. #46 Svante Horn, CEO & Co-Founder of Scandinavian Data Centers | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast.
Action Items
- Explore the concept of circularity and sustainability in data center design and operations.
- Investigate potential partnerships or acquisitions of other data center projects to expand the Scandinavian Data Centers portfolio.
- Review the financial and operational aspects of the previous successful data center project to identify areas for improvement.
Outline
Education and Early Career
- Joshua Feinberg asks Svante Horn about his journey to co-founding a data center company, inquiring if it was a lifelong goal or if it stemmed from his education.
- Svante Horn shares that he attended Dartmouth College and initially struggled to decide his career path.
- He was advised that a job in banking would offer more opportunities and stability, so he joined Morgan Stanley's M&A division in London.
- Despite the initial advice, Svante found the banking job unfulfilling and sought a more entrepreneurial environment.
Transition to Entrepreneurship
- Svante explains his desire to be part of something more entrepreneurial and his strategy to join Morgan Stanley's markets division.
- He moved to Merrill Lynch, where he worked in the fixed-income market. This position allowed him to meet entrepreneurial individuals with innovative ideas.
- His financial background allowed him to effectively assess and scale these ideas, which was crucial for their success.
- Svante met two individuals who had purchased a military bunker in Sweden and planned to convert it into a data center. He leveraged his financial expertise to help them.
Founding Rockan Data Center
- Svante helped develop the business plan and raised capital from local governments, banks, and investors for the data center project.
- For the first year, he served as interim CEO, ensuring that the project met and exceeded NATO security standards.
- The Rockan Data Center became highly attractive to the international market due to its enhanced security.
- The project was successful, and about four years ago, the company was eventually bought by an IT firm, marking the beginning of Scandinavian Data Centers.
Realization and Vision for Sustainability
- Joshua Feinberg acknowledges Svante's unconventional path and the serendipitous meeting that led to the data center project.
- Svante reflects on the success of Rockan Data Center and the feeling that something was missing from the project.
- He felt that the aspects of circularity and sustainability were not fully addressed, which he wanted to incorporate into future projects.
- This realization led Svante to focus on building more sustainable and high-security data centers, aligning with his vision for Scandinavian Data Centers.
Resources
Watch the full podcast Ep. #46 Svante Horn, CEO & Co-Founder of Scandinavian Data Centers | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast
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