TL;DR

  • 3C and Datalec Precision Installations have merged to form 3C Datalec, combining liquid cooling, engineering, manufacturing, connectivity, and facilities management expertise.
  • The combined company forecasts more than $400 million in 2026 revenue, with approximately 1,000 employees and active projects across 16 countries.
  • Backed by new investment, 3C Datalec plans to hire 200 engineers and open facilities in Poland, Canada, and the United States over the next 12 months.

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As AI workloads increase power and cooling requirements across data centers, operators are placing greater emphasis on integrated infrastructure solutions that support projects from initial design through ongoing operations.

3C, the liquid cooling infrastructure company founded by former CoolIT Systems CEO Steve Walton, has merged with Datalec Precision Installations (DPI) to form 3C Datalec, bringing together expertise in liquid cooling, mechanical and electrical (M&E) engineering, manufacturing, connectivity, and facilities management. The combined company will provide integrated services for AI and high-density data center environments.

The newly formed organization has approximately 1,000 employees and forecasts more than $400 million in revenue for 2026. With active projects in 16 countries totaling hundreds of megawatts, 3C Datalec serves four of the five largest hyperscalers, more than 25 colocation providers, neoclouds, and enterprise customers across international markets.

Backed by new investment from Longbow Capital, S2G Investments, Apogem Capital, and QIC, the company plans to expand its global operations and technical capabilities. Over the next 12 months, 3C Datalec expects to hire 200 engineers and establish new facilities in Warsaw, Poland; Calgary, Canada; and Austin, Texas.

The company’s services will be organized around three core areas: Create, covering design and engineering; Construct, encompassing liquid cooling, M&E, manufacturing, and connectivity installation; and Care, supporting commissioning, maintenance, operations, and facilities management. This approach brings together services that are increasingly interconnected as operators address higher rack densities and more demanding cooling requirements.

“Rack densities have outgrown air, and liquid cooling is no longer optional,” said Steve Walton, CEO of 3C Datalec. “At CoolIT, we spent years preparing for this moment and became a global leader in liquid cooling. The hard part now is making cooling, power, construction and operations work as one system, while running at scale. We’re combining our liquid cooling expertise with Datalec’s engineering, manufacturing and FM capabilities, so customers have one partner from design to operation.”

Workforce development will also be a focus as the company expands. Through apprenticeships, technical training, and career development programs, 3C Datalec aims to develop additional expertise in liquid cooling and critical infrastructure while supporting the growing demand for skilled data center engineers.

The merger reflects the increasing importance of coordinated design, construction, cooling, and operational services as AI infrastructure requirements become more complex. By combining technical expertise with an established international delivery presence, 3C Datalec is expanding its ability to support both new data center developments and upgrades to existing facilities.

To learn more about the merger and 3C Datalec’s expanded capabilities, read here: www.imillerpr.com/news/3c-merges-with-datalec-to-create-us400m-revenue-liquid-cooling-and-data-centre-services-platform