A proposed Utah data center project has been drastically reduced in size following backlash from lawmakers and the public. The facility was originally planned to span an area nearly three times larger than Manhattan.
The unnamed Shark Tank investor's data center ambitions hit significant resistance, prompting a major scaling back of the project's footprint. Lawmakers cited concerns over land use, environmental impact, and resource consumption.
The controversy reflects broader tensions around data center expansion in the U.S., particularly regarding their environmental costs and land demands. A separate case in an unnamed city highlighted similar issues, where donated farmland intended for a public park was repurposed for a data center instead.
Meanwhile, the data center industry continues consolidating around efficiency solutions. ZincFive Inc., which supplies specialized batteries for data center operations, agreed to go public through a merger with SparkLabs Group's SPAC at a $600 million pre-money valuation. The move signals investor confidence in technologies aimed at optimizing data center infrastructure—even as projects face mounting scrutiny over their physical expansion.
Bessemer Venture Partners announced $5.75 billion in new funding, with $4 billion allocated to growth-stage investments and $1.75 billion for early-stage companies. The capital deployment signals the firm's strategic pivot toward later-stage startups.
Customer messaging platform Bird has secured $450 million in debt financing led by JPMorgan Chase. The capital will be used to return cash to investors and employees.
Satellite startup Hubble Network closed a $200 million funding round, achieving unicorn status as it builds a space-based network for global Bluetooth connectivity.