NEG8 Carbon Selected for Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centres Accelerator Programme
23 September 2026
Irish company, NEG8 Carbon has been selected to join the 2026–2027 Net Zero Start-Up Hub programme run by the Net Zero Innovation Hub (NZIH) for Data Centers, following a competitive process involving more than 45 companies from 19 countries.
NEG8 Carbon is one of eight companies selected for the six-month programme, which will provide access to data centre operators, technology providers, investors and industry experts.
The programme gives the company a route to scale its heat reuse technology for sustainable data centres which is underpinned by its patented Electrostatic Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology. A key outcome will be engaging with hyperscale data centre designers and operating the NEG8 technology at their sites.
NEG8 Carbon’s DAC technology uses low temperature waste heat from data centres to power the DAC process. Data centres produce continuous heat from servers and other IT equipment, much of which is currently removed through cooling systems. NEG8 Carbon can use this heat to regenerate the CO₂ capturing material (sorbent), which provides a waste heat reuse option beyond district heating, particularly for sites where connection to a district heating network is not practical.
Furthermore, integrating NEG8 Carbon’s DAC system with a data centre delivers multiple outcomes from heat reuse: carbon capture, water production and data centre cooling (both air and liquid cooling).
Once captured, atmospheric CO₂ offers additional commercial opportunities. It can be permanently stored as part of carbon removal projects for carbon credits or supplied as a feedstock for applications including eFuels and other CO₂-based products.
For operators, the approach can support data centre sustainability performance across several indicators. Productive heat reuse improves Energy Reuse Factor (ERF), while reduced cooling requirements can support Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). Water recovery contributes to better Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE), while carbon capture improves Carbon Usage Effectiveness (CUE).
Alberto Ravagni, CEO of Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers said:
“There is no shortage of good ideas – there’s a shortage of pathways to scale them. That’s the gap the Net Zero Hub was built to close. By bringing innovators, hyperscalers, operators, integrators, and investors together in one program, we de-risk, accelerate, and guide startups and scale-ups every step of the way – from incubation to gigawatt-scale deployment. This is how we turn promising technology into delivered growth and sustainability.”
Niels Martin Andersen, Senior Public Affairs Manager at Google said:
“We created the Net Zero Innovation Hub to accelerate the decarbonisation of the data centre industry – and the companies involved in the Net Zero Start-Up Hub represent that next frontier in data centre innovation. This is exactly the kind of collaboration Google is proud to support, in Fredericia and beyond.”
Henrik Hansen, CEO of Danish Data Center Industry, said:
“Denmark has the chance to be a genuine test bed for solving the grid and sustainability challenges we are facing right now when it comes to the buildout of digital infrastructure. The Net Zero Start-Up Hub is proof that we’re willing to walk the talk: putting real, workable solutions in front of the people who can actually put them to use.”
About the NZIH Programme
The Net Zero Start-Up Hub is a six-month programme within the wider Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers. It is designed to help selected technologies progress towards deployment through technical validation, engagement with operators and access to investors. The 2026–2027 programme includes one-to-one mentoring and in-person workshops along with site visits.
The eight companies selected for this year’s cohort are: NEG8 Carbon, Atoco, Carbon Clean, CMBLU Energy, Ionate, Loadwise, Kvasir, and Reverion. This cohort was announced following the Start-Up Hub Pitch Day in Fredericia, Denmark.
About the Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers
The Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers unites leaders across the data centre industry to accelerate the deployment of advanced net zero solutions. Backed by APL, Danfoss, Data4, Google, Microsoft, Schneider Electric and Vertiv, the Hub works to identify, test, and de-risk new technologies for the industry, removing the technical, commercial, regulatory and financial barriers that slow their path to deployment. The Net Zero Start-Up Hub is one track within this broader effort, and it sits alongside the Hub’s other ways of working with industry and technology partners.
Anders Bak Kristoffersen: Kvasir; Matthew Williams: Ionate Energy; Joris Weynen: Reverion; Stefan Strohmayer: CMBLU; Magnus Bach: Atoco; Tobias Schreiner: Loadwise; Sam Cattell: Carbon Clean; Eddie Griffiths: Carbon Clean; David Mulrooney: NEG8 Carbon