TechX Connect x Startup Grind | Scaling Energy Ventures
There is a problem at the heart of the digital economy: data centres burn energy and pay to dump waste heat. But, what if the heat you’re paying to throw away could keep your community warm? In 2016, Mark Bjornsgaard realised that while data centres wasted heat, pools, homes and industry pay to buy heat. His startup Deep Green flipped that model. They fitted compact server “boilers” beside places that already need hot water.
While the computers power AI and cloud jobs, their waste heat is captured and piped into facilities like a public pool in Devon, which kept water warm most of the week and cut gas use by around 62%, saving thousands on bills. In 2024, Octopus Energy Generation backed the model with a £200m commitment to scale heat‑reuse data centres into swimming pools and district heating networks across the UK
On National Unicorn Day, join Startup Grind Aberdeen and the Net Zero Technology Centre for a lunch‑and‑learn with Mark who founded Deep Green, Founder & CEO of System Two Group, experienced venture builder with seven exits (including Lifted → British Gas and Secret Source → Evolve), and backer of climate‑tech and digital infrastructure plays like Civo, Caldera, Ctrl Alt, Heatio and Optect.
During the session we will explore Mark’s lessons from building and scaling ventures in energy and raising capital for startups. You’ll also get a first look at the thinking behind Mark’s forthcoming book, The Idea Drug – a contrarian take on why founders must kick the “ideas addiction” and start with testable need‑states to find truth faster. (Out June 2026.)
Location: Net Zero Technology Centre, 20 Queens Road, Aberdeen, AB15 4ZT
Date & time: 9th April 2026, 12:00-14:00
