Elastx Cloud Platform: Sweden's Sovereign Cloud Infrastructure
Swedish companies handling sensitive data face choices between U.S. hyperscalers like AWS and Azure, which fall under the U.S. Cloud Act, and local alternatives that keep information within EU borders. Elastx, based in Stockholm, addresses this with its Elastx Cloud Platform (ECP), a service where all customer data resides exclusively in Sweden. Founded in 2012, the provider operates three availability zones about 20 km apart, enabling high availability without cross-border data flows.
Elastx supports infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) needs through open-source tools such as OpenStack and Kubernetes. Its setup suits enterprises wary of vendor lock-in, offering pay-as-you-go billing and no long-term contracts. The platform includes compute, storage, networking, and database services, backed by security measures like DDoS protection and encryption. With certifications including ISO 27001, 27017, 27018, and 14001, Elastx runs on green electricity. CEO Joakim Öhman has spoken publicly about Europe's need for independent cloud options, highlighting risks from foreign providers.
What is Elastx?
Elastx launched in 2012 in Stockholm, drawing on more than a decade of experience managing IT environments. The company, with 11-50 employees, focuses on cloud infrastructure for regulated sectors. Its Elastx Cloud Platform centers on OpenStack for IaaS, extended by Kubernetes Container-as-a-Service (CaaS), Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS), and partnerships like Virtuozzo for PaaS and Lightbits for storage.
All operations occur within Sweden's borders. The three availability zones provide redundancy for disaster recovery, with data never leaving the country. This setup avoids issues tied to U.S.-based clouds, where laws can compel data access. Elastx emphasizes open-source stacks to prevent lock-in, supporting automation and tools familiar to DevOps teams.
Technical support stands out, with direct access to engineers. Pricing follows a usage-based model, covering core services like DDoS mitigation and Web Application Firewall at no extra cost. Sustainability factors in, powered by renewable energy and certified under ISO 14001. Recent developments include AI services and GPU infrastructure, alongside "The Vault," a secure facility in a bomb-proof mountain for extreme protection needs.
Elastx positions itself in Sweden's growing cloud market, competing with providers like Cleura and Safespring while advocating for digital sovereignty in media appearances.
Who Uses Elastx?
Elastx serves enterprises, public sector bodies, and fintech firms needing strict data controls. Healthcare provider Prorenata relies on it to keep patient data in Sweden, complying with GDPR and Patientdatalagen. Analytics platform Piwik PRO hosts instances on Elastx for privacy-focused customers. TYRA's founder praised the responsive support for business operations.
Fintech and public agencies choose Elastx to sidestep U.S. Cloud Act risks, hosting payment systems or citizen data. Use cases include Kubernetes for microservices, DBaaS for transactional apps, and OpenStack for legacy VMs. The platform fits organizations scaling workloads while prioritizing sovereignty, with testimonials noting quick response times—from 250-300 ms to 3 ms in one case—and painless upgrades.
European Advantage
Headquartered in Stockholm, Elastx ensures all data processing and storage occur in Sweden, shielding against non-EU legal demands. This aligns with GDPR, supplemented by ISO 27001 (information security), 27017 (cloud security), 27018 (PII protection), and 14001 (environmental management). Swedish oversight provides recourse under EU law.
The local team offers support in regional languages and time zones. Green operations reduce carbon footprints compared to transatlantic data flows. For public tenders or regulated industries, Elastx's setup simplifies audits and avoids hyperscaler compliance hurdles.
How Elastx Compares
Elastx shares OpenStack roots with Cleura, another Swedish provider, but emphasizes Sweden-only data residency versus Cleura's broader Nordic scope. Safespring, also Swedish, targets public sector with similar sovereignty, though Elastx adds Kubernetes CaaS and DBaaS depth. UpCloud, based in Finland, excels in performance with MaxIOPS storage but lacks Elastx's triple-zone redundancy within one country.
Elastx differentiates through no-lock-in open-source focus, included security, and advocacy for sovereignty. Pricing remains competitive on pay-as-you-go, without UpCloud's fixed plans.
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