The transaction strengthens Vertiv’s strategy in critical digital infrastructure and responds to the growing demand driven by artificial intelligence workloads.
Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE: VRT), a global leader in critical digital infrastructure and power continuity solutions for data centers, announced the acquisition of Waylay NV, a Belgian company renowned for its hyper-automation and generative artificial intelligence platform. This move marks a decisive step in Vertiv’s strategy to integrate cutting-edge software into its power and cooling systems, aiming to enhance operational intelligence, reduce costs, and increase the resilience of critical infrastructure.
The impact of AI on data centers
The rise of generative artificial intelligence is transforming the tech industry and driving unprecedented growth in demand for high-density, high-performance data centers. These infrastructures require adaptive energy and cooling systems capable of predicting failures, optimizing resources in real-time, and minimizing energy consumption without compromising availability.
By integrating Waylay’s technology, Vertiv aims to position itself as a leader in the new generation of AI-driven intelligent infrastructure, a market projected to reach several trillions of dollars in cumulative investment over the next decade.
What Waylay brings to Vertiv
Founded in 2014, Waylay NV has developed an AI-based hyper-automation platform capable of:
- Orchestrating and automating workflows across connected assets, enterprise applications, and cloud services.
- Analyzing real-time data from critical machines and equipment.
- Detecting operational trends to anticipate risks and maintenance needs.
- Proposing predictive actions that reduce downtime and improve system efficiency.
According to Vertiv, these capabilities will accelerate the deployment of predictive digital services, improve energy efficiency in AI-heavy environments, and reduce integration and deployment costs of new solutions.
Statements
Giordano Albertazzi, CEO of Vertiv, stated:
“With the incorporation of Waylay’s technology and team, we are accelerating our vision of an intelligent infrastructure: proactive, data-driven, and ready for the most demanding environments. Our customers will benefit from greater operational efficiency and resilience thanks to advanced predictive capabilities.”
Additionally, industry representatives noted that this acquisition reinforces the trend of integrating AI software into critical infrastructure management, especially as the complexity of AI environments compels a reevaluation of how energy and cooling are managed.
Competitive landscape and context
Vertiv’s move occurs in a landscape where major cloud infrastructure and service providers — including Schneider Electric, Eaton, and Huawei — are also developing AI-based capabilities to improve data center efficiency and sustainability. However, the acquisition of Waylay could give Vertiv an immediate competitive edge by adding a specialized team and a platform already established in the European market.
Implications for the future of data centers
With this acquisition, Vertiv aims to become a key player in building next-generation data centers that can dynamically adapt to:
- Energy demand surges in AI training clusters.
- Sustainability challenges, with targets to reduce emissions and energy consumption.
- Distributed and edge computing environments, where automation and resilience are critical.
Embedding AI into power and cooling management will also help operators meet stricter environmental regulations and reduce the risk of disruptions in a sector where every minute of downtime can cost millions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Vertiv’s acquisition of Waylay
1. What is Waylay NV, and why is it important to Vertiv?
Waylay NV is a Belgian company specializing in hyper-automation and generative artificial intelligence. Its software enables real-time data analysis, failure prediction, and process automation in critical infrastructure.
2. How will this acquisition impact data centers?
Combining Waylay’s technology with Vertiv’s solutions will allow for smart cooling and energy management, reducing costs, boosting efficiency, and increasing system availability.
3. Why is AI increasingly relevant in critical infrastructure?
AI workloads demand infrastructure with high energy and thermal density. AI helps predictively manage these environments, avoiding failures, optimizing energy use, and enhancing sustainability.
4. How does Vertiv compare to competitors after this acquisition?
With the purchase of Waylay, Vertiv enhances its position against rivals like Schneider Electric and Eaton by adding generative AI and advanced orchestration capabilities that are ready to scale globally.
5. What benefits will Vertiv customers enjoy?
Customers will be able to increase resilience, reduce downtime, optimize energy consumption, and simplify the integration of new solutions, all amidst a landscape of exponentially growing AI workloads.