Zero Emissions Model Building | neu.ro

The Rise of Sustainable AI: Neu.ro's Zero Emissions Cloud

With an increasing number of businesses adopting machine learning to enhance operational efficiency, the substantial energy demands associated with model development, testing, and deployment are becoming increasingly apparent. Neu.ro, a nascent, comprehensive MLOps provider, is pioneering a more environmentally conscious approach.

A Partnership for Green AI

The company recently unveiled its zero-emissions AI cloud solution, developed in collaboration with atNorth, a Finnish cloud infrastructure partner. This initiative marks a significant step towards reducing the carbon footprint of artificial intelligence.

atNorth's Sustainable Infrastructure

Neu.ro leverages atNorth’s Tier 3, ISO 27001-certified data center, equipped with Nvidia A100-powered DGX and HGX systems. This facility boasts an 80MW power capacity, entirely sourced from geothermal and hydro energy.

Furthermore, its arctic location provides naturally efficient cooling, offering Neu.ro a highly energy-efficient platform for customers to construct and utilize machine learning models.

Addressing Global Energy Consumption

According to co-founder Max Prasolov, research indicates that computing and telecommunications currently account for approximately 9% of global energy consumption. Their findings suggest this figure could potentially double within the next decade.

The company anticipates that machine learning model building will contribute significantly to this growth, prompting their collaboration with atNorth to minimize their own environmental impact.

Beyond Carbon Neutrality: Achieving Zero Emissions

“Our decision was to relocate all operations and experiments to this zero-emission cloud,” Prasolov stated. “The objective isn’t simply carbon neutrality, which can be achieved through credit purchases. We are focused on attaining genuine zero emissions.”

He emphasized the considerable energy expenditure involved in training models for clients, recognizing it as their primary source of carbon emissions.

Software Optimization for Efficiency

Alongside the infrastructure shift, Neu.ro has developed software solutions to streamline model building, thereby reducing energy consumption and delivering a more sustainable service.

A Flexible, Cloud-Native Service

Neu.ro’s product is designed as a flexible, cloud-native service, providing essential tooling while allowing companies to integrate their preferred components.

Interoperability and the Kubernetes Ecosystem

“Instead of attempting to create every tool – from data ingestion to monitoring and pipeline engines – we prioritize interoperability,” explained co-founder Arthur McCallum. “We focus on building what’s missing and connecting to the existing universe of Kubernetes-based tools.”

Open Source and Expanding Reach

The startup currently offers a commercial solution and is preparing to release an open-source version of its stack, anticipated before the year’s end. Their aim is to provide a cloud-based AI solution for smaller cloud providers, extending beyond the dominance of Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.

This includes serving regional vendors worldwide.

Company Background and Funding

Neu.ro was founded in 2019 and launched its initial solution last year. To date, the company has secured $2.3 million in seed funding.