VNG Verbundnetz Gas : invests in Dresden start-up Cloud & Heat

VNG Innovation GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of VNG - Verbundnetz Gas AG (VNG AG), is participating as an investor in Cloud & Heat Technologies GmbH (Cloud & Heat). The Dresden start-up markets cloud-based computer services and also offers the waste heat created by computer systems to heat buildings and provide hot water. The business model of Cloud & Heat combines the two trends of digitalization and energy efficiency - two current developments that are also of strategic importance for VNG.

'With our participation in the start-up Cloud & Heat, we are taking a further step towards the two future markets of digitalization and energy efficiency. Demand for efficient, environmentally compatible heat generation is steadily growing. For VNG, the topic of energy efficiency is the centre of our strategic deliberations. In addition, we can benefit from the experience and know-how of the start-up in cloud operation - the extended provision of IT structures for companies. Thanks to our participation in Cloud & Heat, we now have an additional possibility of marketing our highly secure, high-availability computing infrastructure in the optimum way,' said Hans-Joachim Polk, VNG Executive Board Member for Infrastructure and Technology, explaining the investment decision.

Through the participation of VNG Innovation GmbH, Cloud & Heat can benefit from an outstanding IT infrastructure for the operation of its cloud and competitive electricity prices. 'The participation opens up entirely new possibilities for both parties. We have at our side a strategic partner who will provide support for the large-scale expansion of our secure, high-availability cloud infrastructure and will also benefit from the energy efficiency of our solution, which is unique in the world. Together, we can grasp new opportunities in the marketplace,' adds Nicolas Röhrs, Managing Director of Cloud & Heat.

Apart from VNG Innovation GmbH, the financing round is also being supported by IT experts from Berlin and the existing shareholders. The parties agreed that the amount of the investment should be kept confidential.

VNG - Verbundnetz Gas AG
VNG - Verbundnetz Gas Aktiengesellschaft (VNG AG) is a natural gas merchant company and energy service provider with headquarters in Leipzig. VNG AG is a company within the VNG Group that is active throughout the value chain of the German and European natural gas industry and focuses on the four key business areas of exploration & production, trading & services, transport, and storage. With more than 50 years of experience, the VNG Group makes a key contribution to ensuring secure supplies of natural gas. The Group employs some 1,300 people and recorded sales of approximately €9.4 billion in 2015. Further information is available at www.vng.de

VNG Innovation GmbH
VNG Innovation GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VNG AG. The company was established in 2015 to enter into strategic partnerships with start-ups concentrating on energy industry topics. The main focuses of investment are energy efficiency, energy storage, energy conversion, digitalization, mobility and sustainability. Company founders working in these areas can apply using a contact form on the company website. Further information is available at www.vng-innovation.de

Cloud & Heat
Cloud&Heat arose as a result of an idea developed at Dresden University of Technology and was founded in 2011 under the name of AoTerra GmbH. The company has traded under the name of Cloud & Heat since April 2014. Cloud&Heat Technologies GmbH has operated IT infrastructure based on its own hardware solutions and powered by OpenStack, the cloud operating system, since 2012. The utilization of waste heat from servers saves heating and cooling energy, significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Thanks to a uniquely efficient hot water cooling system, this approach does not impair the performance of computer systems. With its technology, Cloud & Heat operates the world's most energy efficient, cost-effective computer centre solutions. www.cloudandheat.com