Helsinki AI Infrastructure Firm Scores $25M Loan After $117M Raise

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-22

The Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) just signed a four-year, $25 million loan with Verda (formerly known as DataCrunch), a Helsinki-based AI infrastructure company. This financing comes just months after the company raised $117 million to build out its AI cloud infrastructure and fuel international expansion. Ruben Bryon, founder and CEO of Verda Cloud, put it simply: "AI is becoming critical infrastructure. With the support of NIB and our other financing partners, we can expand our capacity and keep serving AI teams with instant access to high-performance computing at scale." ### What Verda Actually Does Founded in 2020 by Ruben Bryon, Verda builds an AI cloud infrastructure that lets developers and organizations access high-performance computing on demand. No more wrestling with traditional cloud procurement headaches. The company handles everything from physical servers and data centers to the tools and services teams need to build AI. And here's the kicker: their data centers in Finland run on 100% renewable energy, taking advantage of the Nordics' natural strengths in clean electricity and efficient cooling. ### A Rebranding with Purpose Last November, DataCrunch rebranded to Verda. The name comes from the Spanish word for "true" and the Esperanto word for "green." According to the company, it symbolizes their commitment to technological integrity and sustainable innovation. ### Impressive Growth Numbers Just last month, Verda hit a $100 million revenue run rate. That's a 10-fold increase in just 18 months. The team now includes over 130 employees from more than 30 nationalities, and they plan to double that number by 2026. ### What the Loan Will Fund With this loan, Verda plans to buy graphics processing units (GPUs) plus related networking and storage equipment. These investments will help build new servers with high-performance computing capacity, mostly in Finnish data centers. The loan is backed by the InvestEU program under NIB's Framework Operation Connectivity, Data Infrastructure & Digital Technologies. The expanded capacity will meet growing demand for computing power, especially for AI and data-driven applications. ### Previous Funding Rounds Last September, Verda raised $63 million in a Series A round led by byFounders, Skaala, Varma pension fund, and Tesi. In 2024, it secured a $14 million seed round. ### Why This Matters Jeanette Vitasp, Vice-President and Head of Lending at NIB, said: "Access to high-performance computing is increasingly important for innovation and competitiveness. By supporting the expansion of cloud infrastructure in Finland, NIB is contributing to strengthening digital capacity in Europe." NIB is the international financial institution for Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden. It funds projects that boost productivity and support environmental sustainability in the Nordic-Baltic region. The bank is headquartered in Helsinki with a regional hub in Riga. ### Key Takeaways - Verda secured a $25 million loan from NIB, backed by the InvestEU program - The company raised $117 million earlier this year - Revenue run rate hit $100 million, growing 10x in 18 months - Funding will expand GPU capacity for AI workloads - Data centers run on 100% renewable energy in Finland This is a clear signal that European AI infrastructure is maturing fast. Verda's growth shows that with the right backing, Nordic companies can compete globally in the high-performance computing space.