The Paradigm-Shifting Heat Removal Solution for Global Data Centres

Determined to expand its market reach and further clients’ business and ESG goals, KoolLogix turns to the expertise of IPI Innovation Advisors.  

The KoolLogix System is a proprietary thermal management solution that controls the temperature and humidity levels in data centre environments to ensure the reliable operation of IT equipment as well as to prevent hardware failures. Originally developed by ERS Industries Pte Ltd, the technology was spun-off into a new entity in 2018 to focus on R&D and business growth.

Five years on, KoolLogix CEO and co-founder CK Cheong expresses his continued confidence in this solution for data centre operators and their clients. “It is the technology’s ability to convert the removed heat into power for cooling the servers. This feature reduces energy intensity by 50%, translating into lower costs and improved revenues with higher rack density. It also results in 4x less carbon emission and better environmental sustainability for the user,” Cheong reveals. In fact, the innovation had underscored KoolLogix’s achievement of winning the OCBC Emerging Enterprise and Sustainability Award in 2021.

With the surge in global data centres led by cloud technology adoption, and the market for data centre cooling solutions growing from US$187 billion today to an expected US$517 billion by 2030, Cheong is determined to enhance KoolLogix’s strategies by making the processes and outcomes clearer. To this end, he sought assistance from IPI and identified two projects that could address the KoolLogix objective.

Project #1 entailed establishing a BUILD-SELL-DELIVER framework in partnership with IPI Innovation Advisor (IA) Bill Padfield. Padfield is a seasoned global leader with vast C-level experience and innovation expertise in the technology sector.

With BUILD, the consideration was to prioritise the strategic products to be developed and launched in the next 3-5 years, and review the operational and technology roadmap with existing R&D partners.

In articulating the SELL (or go-to-market) strategy, Padfield advised a deeper understanding of the needs of regional suppliers, distributors and other stakeholders, including investors. Market prioritisation, possible partnership models and revenue streams were also discussed and evaluated.

With clearer visibility of the targeted results, the KoolLogix team then determined the right methodologies to DELIVER the solution. For instance, they reviewed supply chain risks in the identified markets, and recommended actions such as training, development and installer certification to mitigate concerns.

Padfield notes: “Singapore presents an exciting landscape for tech innovation. The focus on cloud-based software, and the speed at which developers are bringing together cloud-resident applications is staggering. I believe that the KoolLogix System has the capacity to make a significant impact on both greenfield and brownfield data centres — not just through conventional capital expenditure (CAPEX) models, but also via opportunities such as anything-as-a-service (XaaS) which can maximise business potential.”

Given that KoolLogix is currently pursuing Series A funding for its next growth phase, adopting the BUILD-SELL-DELIVER framework would give the company a strong footing to position itself as a competitive player in the data centre segment.

Working hand-in-glove with this plan would be Project #2 led by Mike Amour, an IPI IA who brings with him extensive branding and marketing experience as a former Chairman/CEO Asia Pacific of several global advertising and media agency networks. Amour’s role was to help articulate the company’s unique value proposition of their technology and work with the leadership team to establish the KoolLogix brand narrative. This narrative would be crafted with a view to motivate strategic stakeholders: from employees, partners and customers to suppliers, distributors and investors. Among the project deliverables was a pitch deck presentation, aimed at persuading investors and other stakeholders to buy into the company’s strategy and potential.

Amour believes that most SMEs have a great story to tell. “Clarity and consistency are key to growth beyond borders. To navigate the complex cultural, economic and business practice differences that exist in international markets, it is important to have a focused and differentiated company purpose,” he explains. 

Cheong couldn’t agree more. “KoolLogix has the high-level vision, but we needed experts like Bill and Mike to guide us in developing the tactical steps, strategic frameworks and business structures, and support us in our growth journey. The shifting from product to solution-centric business model in the course of engaging with two IAs has transformed the company focus and identified important gaps we would need to close.

In addition, I’m grateful to Bill for connecting us to major industry players who are among our prospective clients and partners. This has opened doors to new business and collaboration opportunities. In the past two years we’ve secured key clients such as ST Engineering, National Supercomputing Centre (NSCC) Singapore and OCBC.

With Mike, spending the time to decipher our purpose and brand values had been crucial to developing a convincing narrative, and we’ve been using the pitch deck to engage with our investors for fund raising,” says Cheong.

Already, KoolLogix is planning its next move to develop a five-year marketing strategy — sustaining the momentum from the two IPI projects and raising the company’s profile in the data centre ecosystem. KoolLogix also encourages other SMEs to tap into IPI’s programmes and resources, which are aimed at elevating companies to the next level.