Nebius hiring push fuels speculation over Estonia data center plans
International tech firm Nebius is recruiting in Estonia, stirring assumptions about potential new data centers in the country.
Nebius, an Amsterdam-based technology company created from the restructuring of Russian tech giant Yandex, has posted job openings in Estonia. The company is seeking a data centre IT manager, IT technician, IT support unit manager, IT infrastructure engineer, senior IT technician, as well as a warehouse and logistics specialist.
Estonia's largest data centre, Greenergy Data Centers, and Sunly, which is developing a data centre in Läänemaa, both believe that attracting one major international client would soon draw others. Greenergy is expanding its IT capacity in Hüüru to install artificial intelligence computing power and broaden its customer base beyond Estonia.
Asked about a possible deal with Nebius, Greenergy's large-client segment manager Martin Rungi declined to comment, noting that only a small part of the company's capacity has been built out so far, with up to 300 megawatts of potential. "We are targeting all the names you hear in the public information space – Amazon, Microsoft, Google, they are all welcome clients. But who and when will move here will be clear when the time is right," Rungi said.
He added that many things in the industry are confidential until companies disclose them. Nebius also did not clarify its plans. Some clients of data centres in Estonia will remain unknown to the public due to critical infrastructure considerations.
Sunly's energy centre development manager Kaarel Aus said his company is actively negotiating with potential partners. "The need for new data centres among major technology companies is large. A few years ago, Scandinavia and Finland were not preferred destinations. Now Western and Central European grids have no capacity, so attention has shifted there, and now those grids are filling up too," Aus explained.
Nebius' origins are linked to Yandex, which came under sanctions after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In 2024, the company sold its Russian business units, adopted its current name, and moved its head office to the Netherlands. CEO Arkady Volozh, one of Yandex's founders, has renounced Russian citizenship.
Rungi dismissed criticism of Nebius, saying the company has earned trust from Meta, Microsoft, the US government, Nvidia and the New York Stock Exchange. "I do not understand why this labelling continues," he said.
One concern for Estonia is its proximity to Russia, which makes some clients hesitant. However, Rungi noted that Finland, also a neighbour of Russia, has attracted clients. Nebius itself plans to build one of Europe's largest AI data centres in Finland by 2028. Aus pointed out that NATO and EU membership reduce risks for foreign partners.
Data centres could significantly contribute to Estonia's GDP. Rungi said using the full potential, with local electricity and expertise, would mean billions of euros in additional annual revenue for electricity companies and rental income. He also defended data centres' energy use, noting that demand comes from real activities like card payments or streaming.
Estonia's climate offers an advantage: cooling is needed only a few hours per year, compared with hot climates. Aus noted that Estonia currently has virtually no energy-intensive industry, while per capita electricity consumption in Norway is nearly four times higher and in Sweden and Finland twice as high.
