How to evaluate modular data center manufacturers
Modular data centers are factory-built units that carry some or all of the power, cooling, racks, monitoring and fire protection a site would otherwise build in place. The category covers very different products: a single sealed edge rack, a 40 ft immersion-cooled containerized data center, a prefabricated power skid and a multi-megawatt data hall delivered in modules. Compared with traditional data centers built in place, the modular approach moves integration off site to a factory, but it does not remove the need for available power. Comparing modular data center manufacturers only by deployment time hides those differences.
Artificial intelligence and cloud computing are driving demand for new data center capacity, so most vendors now lead with rapid deployment, speed and scalability. Those claims are only useful when tied to a defined scope and a specific location. Five questions do most of the work.
- Scope boundary. Does the vendor supply the whitespace module only, or also the switchgear, transformers, UPS systems, heat rejection and site works? A short factory lead time does not shorten utility work or data center construction on the job site.
- Cooling method. Air, direct-to-chip liquid, single-phase immersion or a hybrid. Current NVIDIA rack-scale systems are liquid-cooled, so ask what share of the heat goes to liquid and how the residual air load is handled.
- Capacity per unit. Confirm whether a published figure is IT load, cooling capacity or facility demand, and whether it applies per rack, per module or per campus.
- Commercial model. Some companies sell equipment, some lease capacity and some build, own and operate the site. The same enclosure can mean a capital purchase, a colocation contract or a GPU cloud service.
- Software and operations. Check whether the vendor supplies management software for power, cooling and IT systems, and who operates the unit after handover.
The lists below group companies by what they publish, not by size or ranking. Where a vendor does not publish a figure, we say so rather than estimate it.
Containerized data center solutions vs prefabricated modular data centers
A containerized data center places racks, power distribution, networking equipment and environmental controls inside an ISO shipping container or a similar steel enclosure, usually 20 or 40 ft. Containerized data center solutions suit edge computing, remote locations and temporary deployments, where a self-contained unit can be shipped by truck and connected to site power.
Prefabricated modular data centers cover a wider range: power skids, cooling plant and larger factory-built halls that are joined on site. Both are modular solutions, and the choice is a data center design decision: where integration happens and which critical components, such as switchgear, UPS systems and coolant distribution units, arrive factory-tested. For AI workloads, the deciding factors are usually rack density, liquid cooling and the electrical capacity each unit can take, rather than the enclosure itself. Energy use and energy efficiency then depend on the cooling design and how fully the IT infrastructure is loaded, not on whether the shell is a container.
For a deeper explanation, read our containerized data center guide.
AI-focused modular data center companies
These companies design modular facilities primarily around high-density GPU and AI workloads. Several also operate the capacity they build.
Armada
Armada builds ruggedized modular data centers under its Galleon line, alongside edge software. Its Leviathan unit is rated at 1.77 MW of IT load with closed-loop, direct-to-chip liquid cooling (about 80/20 liquid to air) and N+1 chillers; Armada describes a four-unit pod at 5.35 MW. In August 2026 it launched Orion, a 10 MW Galleon, and Nordic developer Fossefall selected five Leviathan units totaling more than 9 MW. See our Armada alternatives comparison.
Source: Armada Leviathan product page; DCD on Fossefall, August 2026. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
Crusoe Spark
Crusoe Spark is a prefabricated modular AI data center that integrates power, cooling, monitoring, fire suppression and racks. Crusoe said at the June 2025 launch that it had deployed more than 400 modular units. Spark Liquid, announced October 21, 2026, uses closed-loop, non-evaporative direct liquid cooling and supports up to 3.5 MW of compute per unit, primarily to deliver Crusoe Cloud capacity. Read the Crusoe Spark comparison.
Source: Crusoe newsroom, October 2026; Crusoe newsroom, June 2025. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
Flexnode
Flexnode (flexnode.io) offers standardized prefabricated units in four tiers, NX-1 through NX-4, spanning 1 to 18 MW each, under a single contract from design to operation, with capacity owned or leased. It describes its cooling as closed-loop and water-free. Eaton led Flexnode’s Series A in January 2026 and is integrating its power and 800 VDC technology into the Flexnode NX Compute Module for 3.5–35 MW data halls. See Flexnode alternatives.
Source: Flexnode; Eaton, January 2026. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
Mod42
Mod42 manufactures volumetric modular AI data centers delivered as containers, skids or complete permit-ready buildings with welded steel frames. Its platform is technology-flexible, supporting direct-to-chip liquid, chilled water and hybrid cooling, and it markets 160 kW+ density and a 5 MW to 1 GW scaling range. Mod42 does not publish per-module MW or say whether it sells or leases. Compare Mod42 alternatives.
Source: Mod42 platform page. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
Giga Energy
Houston-based Giga Energy manufactures power and cooling equipment in Houston and Long Beach, California, and develops modular AI data centers under the GigaBase name. Its GigaPod AI-01 is a 45 ft compute module, scalable to 90 or 135 ft, using air-to-liquid cooling with hot-aisle containment and an air-cooled chiller loop. Supporting skids include a 3.0 MW UPS E-House and a 2 MW chiller. Giga Energy sells equipment, builds to suit and operates colocation on its own powered land. See Giga Energy alternatives.
Source: Giga Energy. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
Duos Edge AI
Duos Edge AI, a subsidiary of Duos Technologies (Nasdaq: DUOT), builds, owns and operates modular Edge Data Center pods in underserved US markets, including Texas and Georgia. It reported 15 pods deployed and a 4.8 MW high-power configuration in March 2026, then a five-year, 10 MW contract with an investment-grade hyperscaler at its Columbus, Georgia campus in August 2026. Duos does not state a cooling method in the filings reviewed. Compare Duos Edge AI alternatives.
Source: Duos Technologies Q2 2026 results (SEC); FY2025 results (SEC). Reviewed November 2, 2026.
DUG Nomad
DUG Technology’s Nomad line is a containerized data center that places single-phase immersion cooling in standard 10, 20 and 40 ft shipping containers for edge HPC and AI. Its first commercial deal, in June 2025, leased one Nomad 10 to a Petronas subsidiary for three years. DUG’s pages reviewed do not state per-container capacity.
Source: DUG Nomad; DUG ASX announcement, June 2025. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
Greensparc
Greensparc builds and operates small modular edge data centers in remote locations, notably Alaska, using stranded or underused renewable power and offering GPU hosting. Deployments range from about 50 kW in rural sites to 1 MW+ city-wide. Its 2024 launch sited a unit at a hydro plant in Cordova, Alaska. Greensparc does not publish its cooling method.
Source: Greensparc. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
PCX
PCX, a Hubbell brand in North Carolina, manufactures FLX-MDC prefabricated modular data centers, modular electrical skids and switchgear. Its focus is the electrical side of the module; it does not publish cooling or capacity specifications.
Source: PCX. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
WinDC
WinDC is an Australian operator deploying relocatable modular AI data centers behind the meter at renewable generation sites. Its modules are designed and built by Armada, and trade press reported an 11 MW partnership in March 2026. WinDC does not publish cooling or unit capacity.
Source: WinDC; W.Media, March 2026. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
OEM and data center infrastructure vendors
These industry suppliers offer prefabricated solutions, power and cooling equipment or reference designs that data center operators integrate into critical digital infrastructure. Their capabilities overlap, but most sell equipment rather than operate it.
Vertiv
Vertiv’s range runs from SmartMod Max containerized data center solutions (up to 200 kW IT) to the MegaMod CoolChip, a prefabricated module with direct-to-chip liquid cooling, and OneCore, a factory-assembled prefabricated data center offered in 5–50 MW blocks. See Vertiv modular data center.
Source: Vertiv, August 2025; SmartMod Max. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric offers the Prefabricated Modular EcoStruxure Pod, a whitespace pod supporting liquid and hybrid cooling at “up to 1MW and beyond.” In October 2026 it unveiled RapidScale modular data centers and Reference Design 115, built for NVIDIA Vera Rubin.
Source: Schneider Electric, October 2026. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
Eaton
Eaton supplies NordicEPOD prefabricated power modules (standard 1.7 and 2.0 MW IT load), the SmartRack modular data center (up to 150 kW) and, with NVIDIA, the Beam Rubin DSX grid-to-chip platform announced in March 2026, alongside its Flexnode collaboration.
Source: Eaton, March 2026. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
HPE
HPE’s AI Mod POD is a modular data center module of up to 1.5 MW using HPE Adaptive Cascade Cooling, which supports air, hybrid and 100% liquid cooling.
Source: HPE AI Mod POD. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
Dell Technologies
Dell’s Modular Data Center family includes MDC Flex (5 to 100 racks at 5–115 kW per rack, with factory liquid cooling available), the all-in-one MDC Click and rugged Micro units for edge computing. Read Dell modular data center.
Source: Dell Modular Data Centers. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
Supermicro
Supermicro’s Data Center Building Block Solutions package compute, networking, storage, DLC-2 direct liquid cooling and power as integrated building blocks. Its Vera Rubin NVL72 blueprints scale from 5 MW to 1 GW.
Source: Supermicro, June 2026. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
STULZ
STULZ builds factory-integrated Micro DC units, with a direct liquid-to-chip option up to 80 kW per rack, and through STULZ Modular an immersion module with Asperitas up to 200 kW IT.
Source: STULZ Micro DC. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
GRC
Austin-based GRC (Green Revolution Cooling) sells single-phase immersion systems, including the ICEtank, a 40 ft containerized data center with eight 42U immersion racks rated up to 480 kW.
Source: GRC edge products. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
Iceotope
Iceotope is a cooling technology licensor rather than a modular data center manufacturer. It licenses sealed, chassis-level precision liquid cooling to OEMs and raised a $26M Series B in May 2026.
Source: Iceotope. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
BladeRoom
BladeRoom, part of BRG Technologies, builds factory-made off-site modular data centers from edge to hyperscale using its own cooling design. It does not publish unit capacity on its homepage.
Source: BladeRoom. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
Modular data center manufacturers compared
| Company | Form factor | Cooling | Published capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armada | Factory-built modules (Leviathan, Orion) | Closed-loop direct-to-chip, 80/20 liquid to air (Leviathan) | 1.77 MW IT (Leviathan); 10 MW (Orion) |
| Crusoe Spark | Prefabricated modular unit | Closed-loop direct liquid (Spark Liquid) | Up to 3.5 MW per unit |
| Flexnode | Prefabricated NX units | Closed-loop, water-free | 1–18 MW per unit |
| Mod42 | Containers, skids, buildings | Direct-to-chip, chilled water or hybrid | Not published per module |
| Giga Energy | 45 ft GigaPod plus skids | Air-to-liquid, hot-aisle containment | Not published per GigaPod |
| Duos Edge AI | Modular pods | Not published | 4.8 MW configuration |
| DUG Nomad | 10/20/40 ft containers | Single-phase immersion | Not published |
| Greensparc | Micro modular units | Not published | About 50 kW to 1 MW+ |
| PCX | Prefabricated modules and skids | Not published | Not published |
| WinDC | Armada-built relocatable units | Not published | Not published |
| Vertiv | Containers to prefab halls | Air, direct-to-chip | 200 kW (SmartMod Max) to 5–50 MW (OneCore) |
| Schneider Electric | Prefabricated pods | Liquid and hybrid | Up to 1 MW and beyond per pod |
| Eaton | Power modules, SmartRack | Not published | 1.7–2.0 MW power modules; 150 kW SmartRack |
| HPE | AI Mod POD | Air, hybrid or 100% liquid | Up to 1.5 MW per module |
| Dell | MDC Flex, Click, Micro | Air; liquid available (Flex) | 5–100 racks, 5–115 kW per rack |
| Supermicro | Data center building blocks | DLC-2 direct liquid | Blueprints from 5 MW |
| STULZ | Micro DC, immersion module | Air, direct-to-chip, immersion | Up to 80 kW per rack; 200 kW module |
| GRC | 40 ft ICEtank | Single-phase immersion | Up to 480 kW |
| Iceotope | Chassis-level licensing | Precision liquid | Not applicable |
| BladeRoom | Off-site built modules | Proprietary | Not published |
| QIT | 20 ft GPU container | Direct liquid cooling, closed loop with dry coolers | 1 MW IT, up to 1,200+ GPUs per container |
Source: vendor pages and filings cited in each section above. Figures use each vendor’s own units and are not directly comparable. Reviewed November 2, 2026.
Where QIT fits
QIT develops liquid-cooled modular GPU data centers, or GPU shipping containers, planned around roughly 1 MW IT blocks and phased into 5–10 MW sites, so capacity can follow power and demand. Our focus is Texas, and we prefer existing powered properties, where usable power can be documented before equipment is ordered. Our containers arrive factory-integrated and tested, and on-site installation takes 15 hours once power and the pad are ready. Neoclouds and GPU operators are the customers we design for.
QIT is earlier-stage than most companies on this list. If you need a unit shipped against a published spec today, several vendors above are further along. If you have a powered property and want a phased, liquid-cooled plan sized to it, that is where we focus.
Companies we left out
Some names appear on older lists of modular data center companies but do not fit a current buyer’s shortlist. BASELAYER was acquired by IE Corp in 2020 and has no current product site we could verify. EdgeMode and Edged develop large AI campuses rather than modular units. ScaleMatrix operates colocation; its cabinet technology now sits with DDC Solutions, a Daikin Applied company.
Prepared by QIT · Updated November 2, 2026
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