How to grow into a pan-European business with the help of a smart IT solution and reliable infrastructure?

R8 Technologies, launched ‘in a garage’ and now operating in 15 countries all across Europe, is controlling the indoor climate and energy consumption of large, technically complex buildings with the help of artificial intelligence. Today, more than 2.3 million square metres of buildings benefit from the services of R8. Last year (in 2022), the company helped its clients to save almost 7 million euros on energy consumption and cut CO2 emissions by more than 15,000 tons. The team of R8 believes that this is only the beginning!

Jenny is an AI-based solution developed by R8.

We asked Siim Täkker, CEO of R8 Technologies, what was the secret of their success, how did their growth depend on the IT infrastructure, and how they have benefited from moving their systems and data to a top-class data center (located in Estonia).

You have gone through a remarkable growth story. How do you attract your clients to have been able to launch your operations all across Europe from Finland to Portugal over a short period of time?

Our advantage is our very technical and strong team and the R8 Jenny AI-based solution developed by us, which helps us connect the utility systems of a property, IT, AI, and other related fields. We have developed R8 Jenny from scratch, using the solutions of industrial revolution 4.0 (IoT, Big Data, AI, ML) and taking into consideration the wishes and needs of our clients.

The aim of the R8 team and R8 Jenny is to achieve the desired indoor climate in buildings at minimal costs. We also wish to provide an overview of the functionality of the building and its utility systems and to report the results achieved, including with respect to compliance with the ESG requirements. The solution has been successfully implemented all over Europe, with remarkable energy savings achieved (approx. 20%, on average!). Our ambition and capability do not end there, though; the aim is to expand worldwide to help to achieve global as well as local goals. Therefore, we have to admit that the reduction of the CO2 emissions arising from energy savings is even more important than direct saving in euros or dollars today.

We can say that artificial intelligence is in a key position at your company. How does it help to save energy?

The utility systems of modern buildings consist of thousands, tens of thousands, and sometimes even hundreds of thousands of data points. Constant resetting the systems is an almost impossible task for a human being, but a very appropriate task for an artificial intelligence with unlimited capability. The R8 Jenny software solution, which is based on the artificial intelligence developed by R8, proactively controls the utility systems of buildings with the aim of achieving a comfortable indoor climate at minimal costs, taking into consideration the changes which have affected, are affecting, and will affect energy consumption in the past, in the present, and in the future, such as weather forecasts, number of visitors of the building, and even the direction of the wind. R8 Jenny also learns over time the responses of each specific building to the changes in the outdoor temperature, sunlight, humidity, etc. This means that the buildings controlled by AI do not only respond but proactively prepare for the near future, using available as well as learned data. This is how significant energy savings are achieved in all buildings as a result of hundreds and thousands of minor daily adjustments in the settings of the utility systems.

Can you give a local well-known example?

If I have to highlight just one example – the entire Ülemiste City campus where R8 Jenny controls approx. 350,000 m2 of different commercial properties – trade, entertainment, and offices.

Data and the IT infrastructure are obviously very important in your business. Which principles are you using here?

Based on the expectations of our clients, it is clear that our servers must be located in an environment which is stable and ensures sustainability.

A while back, we mapped the data centers in Estonia and were pleasantly surprised that a new player with a really cool concept which no one had yet dared to attempt was about to enter the market – Greenergy Data Centers.

The main reason for preferring GDC were and still are the security and the full package of the services provided. Secondly, the commitment of GDC to energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy, which is also one of the values written into the DNA of R8tech. Thirdly, what we can refer to as an emotional value is the fact that GDC and R8tech are both so-called frontrunners with their services and come from Estonia.

What else is important to you in a business which is based on the availability of data and analysis?

In addition to quality and uniqueness, we also prioritise the security of the service provided to customers, as we manage largest real estate objects and large property operators all across Europe. This means that we must do our best and use the best solutions available in the case of outsourced services as well. Greenergy Data Centers is the best match for our requirements in the Baltic region. We have huge responsibility and specific risks which we alleviate very attentively and with a lot of commitment.

The quality of communications is obviously also of critical importance in our business – we must be able to reach our clients. GDC suits us perfectly on the basis of this criterion as well.

Many companies choose between their servers and a public cloud service in developing their business. Why did you decide in the favour of your own servers and data centers?

We chose our own servers deliberately. The stability and security of our solution is important for our clients and partners. We can only ensure this if we are in control of all aspects of our technology, which is in turn only possible if we use our own servers and means of communication.

How do you find the reliability of the system so far?

After moving to the GDC data center, our systems have been working without interruptions, that is 100%. This is the goal which we wished to achieve.

What role did GDC play in your success story?

Relying on the certificates and compliance of GDC is an important argument for several international clients.

How do you assess your cooperation with GDC?

The cooperation experience with GDC has been very good so far – they have delivered what they promised. The attention of GDC to the wishes of the client, their strong technical competence, and the professional team that is able and prepared to satisfy the special needs of the client help to find solutions smoothly.

Has the location of the GDC data center come with any business benefits for you?

We expected a stable environment with no interruptions and this is what we have received. Thanks to this, our clients have been even more satisfied with the service and we are being taken even more seriously on a global scale.