Alphabet spin-out Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP) has launched a new data center-focused unit.
“SIP is taking a lead on the private sector solutions by bringing Verrus — a new SIP platform company that builds next-generation data centers — out of stealth after several years of internal research and development,” the company announced this week.
SIP said Verrus is “pioneering a new generation of flexible, efficient data centers tailored for both conventional workloads and AI” by matching its infrastructure to the variable uptime requirements and actual workload needs.
As an example, SIP said separate server halls can house availability-sensitive computing like web searches and flexible batch operations like AI training. This workload-aware approach, it said, maximizes efficiency.
SIP said the modular Verrus design can share power assets between halls to improve utilization rather than stranding capacity. Verrus can also deploy grid-scale battery storage rather than diesel generators that can support the grid if needed.
Verrus’ orchestrated software system can coordinate uptime preservation while optimizing costs, emissions, and grid support.
Verrus said it utilizes “innovative cooling techniques” to support extreme chip heat dissipation from power-hungry GPUs – likely liquid-cooling, but without providing details.
“In place of redundant, isolated, and unsustainable power assets, we implement optimized electrical and mechanical plant architecture to fluidly align capacity to loads across the facility. Supply adapts to sync with demand (and vice versa), rather than sitting idle,” Verrus’ own announcement said. “Our optimization can dynamically calibrate operations to sync with workload variability, grid interactions, and carbon availability.”
Verrus’ features a number of former Google staff amongst its leadership team. The company is led by CEO Nelson Abramson. Prior to joining Verrus, Nelson served as the global head of Infrastructure for X (formerly Twitter). He also previously worked at Google for 20 years, including on its data center team.
Company CTO Anand Ramesh is another former Google alumni; he also served at EdgeConneX as SVP of advanced technology. Former Verne Global CEO Jeff Monroe is also on the Verrus team.
Jimmy Clidaras, previously a distinguished engineer at Google, was formerly founder of Google's data center R&D division.
SIP was formed out of Sidewalk Labs in 2019 as an independent entity out of Alphabet; it is also funded by pension fund the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP); and private infrastructure fund StepStone Group.
In 2021, the company acquired wireless infrastructure business Dense Air Networks.
