Podcast: Data Center GPU-as-a-Service Stakes with Cologix and Consensus Core

For this episode of the DCF Show podcast, DCF Editor in Chief Matt Vincent spoke with Callum Morrison, Account Director of Cologix; and Wayne Lloyd, CEO of Consensus Core.

Cologix and Consensus Core in Montreal

A new collaboration announced in August 20024 between Consensus Core and Cologix launches the first NVIDIA-powered GPU as a Service (GPUaaS) in the Montreal market, making Cologix’s MTL10 data center the inaugural hub for high-performance AI workloads in Montreal.

During the interview, we discuss:
• What GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) is and why it’s so valuable to businesses looking to leverage AI.
• Why connectivity and interconnection are critical to support AI applications.
• How Canada’s AI initiative is driving growth and adoption of AI.
• The two companies' vision for the future of AI-ready data centers in Canada

Cologix is the largest data center provider in Montréal with 12 facilities and has a Canadian interconnection ecosystem of 350 networks, 200+ cloud providers, 15 public cloud onramps and three internet exchanges.

Cologix, who bills itself as one of the "leading network-neutral interconnection and hyperscale edge data center" companies in North America, announced the collaboration with Consensus Core, an AI cloud service provider, to support the needs of AI technologies at its MTL10-S data center in Montréal, Canada.

The collaboration enables Consensus Core to launch a new, NVIDIA-powered GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) in the Canadian market and transforms MTL10 into a hub for its high-performance AI workloads. “As a registered member of the NVIDIA Partner Network, Consensus Core will supercharge AI in Canada,” said Consensus Core CEO Lloyd, who is also a company co-founder.

Lloyd added, “Implementing AI in data centers with the powerful NVIDIA accelerated computing platform requires a specialized approach. We have selected Cologix to address this need. As a Canadian company, we sought a partner offering colocation services for GPUs for both Canadian and international clients. Cologix’s hyperscale and highly interconnected data centers enable us to densify and scale our services to meet customer demands efficiently.”

Unlike general cloud services that use general-purpose platforms for a wide range of applications, GPUaaS provides specialized, high-performance computing for specific AI tasks.

This benefits companies that want to start doing AI workloads because instead of buying and maintaining their own physical servers and hardware, they can get access to NVIDIA accelerated computing on a per-hour basis from companies like Consensus Core. This means less downtime waiting for delivery and easy-to-use tools to deliver business results faster.

Background

In October 2024, Cologix announced capital raises of $1.5 billion USD to fuel its next stage of strategic growth by accelerating expansion of AI-ready data centers across key North American markets.

Cologix plans to use the capital to support the ongoing build out of large-scale campuses in its core markets, including Ashburn, Columbus and Montréal, as well as to begin new builds on recently acquired land in Columbus, Des Moines and Vancouver.

Upon full build out, all of the operator's planned data center construction can support over 650 critical megawatts (MW) of sellable capacity.

The infusion of capital received strong investor demand, underscoring investor confidence in Cologix’s proven business model, growth potential and ability to execute on its strategic initiatives.

The capital raises include a $1.0 billion USD revolving multi-asset development debt facility and an additional $500 million USD in equity from both new and existing investors.

The debt facility is structured to provide Cologix with the flexibility to add new sites over time, offering quick access to capital to fund development projects as needed.

Both the debt and equity raises received strong investor demand and were oversubscribed, underscoring their confidence in Cologix’s proven business model, growth potential and ability to execute on its strategic initiatives.

"This is a significant milestone for Cologix and demonstrates the continued trust of our investors, both new and existing," said Scott Schneider, CFO of Cologix. "The combination of debt and equity financing provides us with the flexibility and capital to keep pace with the growing demand for digital infrastructure, particularly as AI, hybrid cloud and interconnection requirements expand. This financing ensures we can continue to scale and deliver on our customers’ needs in a dynamic market."

The $1.5 billion USD in financing announced in October followed the company’s successful $1.13 billion USD and $1.07 billion CAD asset-backed securitizations since 2021, as well as a $3.0 billion USD equity recapitalization in 2022, all of which added to positioning Cologix for sustained growth.

Deployment

NVIDIA's H100 Tensor Core GPU-accelerated clusters will power Consensus Core’s GPUaaS operated in Cologix’s Montréal data center. NVIDIA H100 extends the NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core GPU’s global-to-shared asynchronous transfer capabilities across all address spaces and adds support for tensor memory access patterns. It enables applications to build end-to-end asynchronous pipelines that move data into and off the chip, completely overlapping and hiding data movement with computation.

MTL10 is among Cologix’s largest network-neutral data centers, offering connectivity via high-count, diverse and scalable fiber with direct access to the Meet-Me-Room (MMR) in Montréal at Cologix’s MTL3 facility. The data center also offers strong interconnection capabilities to build and scale businesses with more than 100 unique network providers and low-latency connections to hyperscale cloud providers. MTL10 is a 180,000-square-foot, purpose-built facility that is ISO 27001 certified by Schellman and HIPAA, SOC1, SOC2 and PCI compliant.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Consensus Core to bring its GPUaaS offering to Canada,” said Sean Maskell, President and General Manager of Cologix Canada, in a press relesae. “Consensus Core’s innovative solution fills a critical gap in the market, empowering businesses of all sizes to leverage the immense power of AI and machine learning. At Cologix, we are deeply committed to supporting the growth of the Canadian technology sector, and this collaboration demonstrates our dedication to providing the essential infrastructure and services that businesses need to thrive in today’s world.”

The companies contend that their new collaboration between Cologix and Consensus Core positions MTL10 as the premier hub for high-performance AI in Canada, providing businesses with the infrastructure and tools required to take advantage of the full potential of AI technologies.

Podcast

During the podcast, Morrison and Lloyd discuss their companies' collaboration on the new AI service and the transition of Consensus Core from specializing in crypto infrastructure to AI, with a focus on GPU as a Service. Wayne explains how this service allows companies to access AI capabilities by overcoming challenges related to chips, power, and data center capacity. Callum highlights Cologix's partnership with Nvidia to enhance efficiency and scalability.

The conversation emphasizes the growing demand for power in AI deployment stakes and the importance of scaling deployments to achieve successful business outcomes.

Specific questions for Callum and Wayne regarding the announced collaboration to empower businesses in Canada to leverage the power of AI and machine learning with NVIDIA-Powered GPU-as-a-Service included:

What is GPUaaS and how does it fit into the infrastructure ecosystem? How does the collaboration between Cologix and Consensus Core deliver GPUaaS? What are the benefits for businesses? Do Cologix and Consensus Core have plans to expand their collaboration in Canada and/or other markets?

Key points during the interview include the following:

2:00 - Wayne Lloyd discusses his background as CEO of Consensus Core and the company's transition from crypto infrastructure to AI, focusing now on their GPU as a service offering.

3:00 - DCF asks for a high-level view of AI's impact on the data center industry since the rise of ChatGPT, setting the stage for further discussion.

7:30 - The discussion examines how the Cologix team plans to assess new build sites for liquid cooling capabilities.

9:05 - Wayne Lloyd explains the concept of GPU as a Service, detailing how it enables companies to access AI capabilities similar to hyperscalers by addressing bottlenecks in chips, power, and data center capacity.

11:53 - Callum Morrison outlines Cologix's approach to GPU as a Service, discussing their partnership with Nvidia and the infrastructure designed to maximize efficiency and scalability for clients.

22:30 - Discussion turns to the increasing demand for power in AI and Cologix's proactive measures to meet industry needs through hiring and capital investment.

23:21 - Mention is made that the Cologix team is hiring for roles needed in the realm of data center power.

24:14 - The talk concludes by discussing the significance of scaling deployments and controlling compute resources to drive business outcomes in the AI landscape.

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