Powered land for European data centers. From target zone to closed transaction.
A defined methodology, applied to every site we touch — with written mandates and clear fees.
Via Terra works with data center operators, infrastructure investors and developers who need powered land in Europe. We engage from the moment a target zone is defined: analysing the zone, identifying candidate sites within it, qualifying the strongest options against grid, permitting, fiber and ESG criteria, and supporting the transaction through to closing of the land deal.
The discipline is structural: a defined methodology applied to every site, written mandates with clear deliverables, and clear fees.
What sets Via Terra apart.
A joint venture
Via Terra is a joint venture between TechHer Capital, an independent strategic advisory firm based in Paris, and VIA DC, an independent technical, financial and environmental engineering firm based in Lyon. Both parents have established footprints across European data center markets.
Defined perimeter
We work on target zone analysis, site identification, technical qualification, pre-application support with grid operators, and transaction support through to closing. Engineering, project management and construction beyond qualification sit with VIA DC or with the client's chosen partners.
Mutual NDA, structured fee protection
All our work runs under mutual non-disclosure with structured fee protection through an Introduction Registry. The protection mechanics are in place from the framing call.
Between the operator's strategic site requirements and the developer or landowner's offer.
Operators and investors come to Via Terra at three points: when they have a target zone but no candidate sites yet, when they have candidate sites that need technical qualification, or when they have a transaction to close.
We sit between the operator's strategic site requirements and the developer or landowner's offer, applying engineering depth and commercial origination to convert opportunities into investment-committee-grade decisions.
About Via Terra.
Powered land sourcing and qualification for European data centers, delivered by a joint venture between TechHer Capital and VIA DC.
A joint venture, formed in 2026.
Via Terra is a joint venture formed in 2026 between TechHer Capital, the independent advisory firm founded by Blanka Thibaud in October 2025, and VIA DC, the technical, financial and environmental engineering firm based in Lyon. The JV exists to bring together commercial origination and engineering qualification in a single accountable team for powered land work in European data center markets.
Powered land sourcing requires both commercial reach (knowing the operator demand, the developer landscape, the introduction networks) and engineering depth (power, permitting, fiber, environmental, technical site programming). Few firms cover both to the standards the AI infrastructure cycle now requires. Via Terra was built specifically to close that gap.
Where Via Terra comes from.
The methodology Via Terra applies, called TerraNova, was developed inside TechHer Capital across European and MENA data center markets. It took shape as a structured approach to evaluating powered land sites against the dimensions that determine whether a data center project succeeds, refined through Blanka Thibaud's site selection work at AWS, at Sepia Infrastructure, and at TechHer Capital.
As demand for that methodology grew beyond what a strategic advisory firm could deliver alone, TechHer Capital partnered with VIA DC to bring engineering depth alongside the commercial origination. Via Terra is the result: TerraNova by TechHer Capital, applied through Via Terra.
Three values that govern the work.
Technical excellence
Powered land qualification depends on getting technical detail right: grid queue position, fiber latency, soil and seismic conditions, water availability, permit category. Via Terra applies engineering rigour to each, drawing on VIA DC's footprint across fourteen European countries.
Independence
Via Terra has no ties to manufacturers, integrators, or specific operators beyond the engagements we are mandated to deliver. We defend the interests of the client we are working for, exclusively. This allows us to evaluate options objectively and to walk away from sites that do not stand up under scrutiny.
Partnership
Both parent firms remain independent and continue to operate their own client relationships. Via Terra is the joint vehicle for powered land work specifically, not an absorption of either firm's broader practice. This structure aligns incentives and protects clients from the conflicts that arise when a single firm tries to be everything at once.
Operators, investors, developers, and the public sector.
Hyperscalers, neocloud operators, colocation providers, infrastructure funds, institutional investors, real estate developers, and government bodies looking to position regions for data center investment.
Specific client references are available on request, under a mutual non-disclosure agreement.
Four practice areas. One discipline.
Mandates are framed in advance with a written engagement letter (lettre de mission) that defines the practice areas in scope, the deliverables, the fees, and the timeline. We do not run open-ended retainers; every fee is tied to a specific output.
Most engagements involve more than one of the four practice areas below. The framing call before mandate signature determines which areas are needed for a given client situation. Many engagements start at the upstream end of the work, with target zone analysis, before any specific site is in view.
Target zone analysis and site identification.
For an operator deciding where to build, our work often begins before a specific site is in view. We analyse the target zone the operator has identified — defined by latency requirements, power availability, market access, regulatory tolerance, or other operator-specific criteria — and surface candidate sites within it. Where the operator has not yet defined a target zone, we work alongside them to do so, drawing on TechHer Capital's market intelligence and VIA DC's engineering data on grid, fiber and permitting conditions across European jurisdictions.
Once the target zone is defined, we source candidate powered land sites against the operator's specification (IT load, latency, permitting tolerance, timeline). Sourcing is delivered through proprietary networks, partner introductions, and direct landowner relationships.
Deliverable
A written shortlist of candidate sites with per-site summaries, plus the underlying zone analysis if zone definition was part of the mandate. Typically four to eight sites in the first pass, narrowed to two or three after technical qualification.
Technical qualification.
Per-site technical assessment using the TerraNova methodology framework. Each site evaluated across seven domains: grid feasibility, fiber connectivity, site programming, cooling and heat reuse, ESG, market economics, and regulatory and permitting. Engineering depth contributed by VIA DC.
Deliverable
A per-site dossier with explicit verification status on each domain. The dossier is structured for the operator's investment committee, not for a real estate transaction. Typical duration: three to six weeks per site, depending on jurisdictional complexity.
Pre-application support.
Coordination with the relevant transmission and distribution system operators (RTE, Enedis in France; Terna in Italy; REE in Spain; IPTO in Greece; equivalent operators in other markets). Pre-application file preparation, queue position assessment, and engagement strategy. We deliver this work across all fourteen European countries where VIA DC has established presence.
Deliverable
A pre-application file ready for submission to the relevant TSO or DSO, with an assessment of likely queue position and energisation timeline. Typical duration: four to twelve weeks, depending on the operator and the complexity of the site.
Transaction support.
Negotiation strategy and execution support through to closing of the land deal. Coordination with the client's legal counsel, tax advisors, and counterparty representatives. Where appropriate, structuring of the transaction (option to purchase, conditional sale, lease with build-to-suit clauses).
Deliverable
A closed land transaction or a documented decision not to proceed. Fees are partly success-based for this practice area, structured per engagement letter.
What sits outside Via Terra's mandate.
- Engineering, project management, and construction beyond technical qualification: VIA DC or the client's chosen partners.
- Strategic and capital advisory at the platform or fund level (which markets to enter, how to structure capital partnerships): TechHer Capital.
- Site identification work outside Via Terra's geographic perimeter: by referral to other partners.
- Vendor selection, procurement, or commissioning: not part of Via Terra's mandate.
TerraNova methodology.
The site evaluation framework Via Terra applies to powered land assessments across European data center markets.
TerraNova by TechHer Capital, applied through Via Terra.
A site evaluated across seven connected domains.
TerraNova is the methodology framework Via Terra uses to evaluate powered land sites for data center deployment. Developed at TechHer Capital and licensed to the joint venture for its operational work, the framework structures the assessment of a site across the dimensions that determine whether a data center project succeeds. Via Terra applies it to every mandate, from initial site identification through to investment-committee-grade qualification.
Each domain is assessed against criteria specific to data center deployment, not generic real estate metrics. The output is a structured per-site dossier that an operator's investment committee can rely on.
Grid feasibility
Power availability, grid path, queue position, transmission and distribution operator engagement, energisation timeline.
Fiber connectivity
Routes, carriers, latency to relevant hubs, redundancy, capacity.
Site programming
Buildable area, constructability, density, cooling system suitability, expansion potential.
Cooling & heat reuse
Water availability, ambient conditions, district heating opportunities, sustainability profile.
ESG
Environmental constraints, community context, biodiversity, climate risk, sustainability commitments.
Market economics
Land cost, comparable transactions, regional pricing, financing context, tenure structure.
Regulatory & permitting
Urban planning category, applicable permits, environmental authorisations, principal site-level risks, jurisdiction-specific considerations.
Europe runs on one interconnected grid.
Every powered land assessment starts with whether the site can actually connect — to which substation, on what timeline, with what queue position. The map below shows the major data center hubs and key high-voltage interconnections that frame how grid capacity moves across European markets.
Schematic · for illustration. Actual grid feasibility work is done at substation and queue level for each candidate site.
What is public, and what is not.
The seven domains are described publicly because they are the structural backbone of the framework. The specific scoring weights, calibration logic, and comparative benchmarks that translate domain assessments into a final site recommendation are confidential. They are shared only under executed engagement and represent the firm's accumulated practice across European data center markets.
How TerraNova was developed.
TerraNova grew out of TechHer Capital's site selection work across European and MENA data center markets. The framework took shape as the firm's founder, Blanka Thibaud, applied a structured approach to site evaluation across more than fifty European and MENA jurisdictions during her time at AWS and Sepia Infrastructure, and refined it into a formal methodology after founding TechHer Capital in 2025.
When TechHer Capital partnered with VIA DC to form Via Terra in 2026, TerraNova became the methodology the joint venture would apply to its powered land work. The IP remains with TechHer Capital under a licence agreement; the operational deployment is Via Terra's.
Download the framework.
A summary of the TerraNova methodology, including a description of each of the seven domains and the questions the framework asks at each step, is available as a downloadable PDF. The summary is suitable for distribution within an operator's, investor's, or developer's organisation. Detailed scoring weights, calibration logic, and case-specific application of the framework are not included in the public summary; these are shared under executed engagement.
A defined sequence. From framing to closure.
Every mandate at Via Terra runs through the same disciplined sequence — a framing call, an engagement letter, mutual non-disclosure, and a documented conclusion. The mechanics protect both sides and put substance ahead of process.
How a Via Terra engagement unfolds.
The framing call.
Every mandate begins with a framing call. Thirty minutes, no preparation required, no exchange of confidential information yet. The purpose is to confirm fit: is the question one Via Terra is well-placed to answer, and does the engagement structure work for both sides? Most framing calls end with a clear yes or a clear no within the first conversation.
The framing phase.
If the framing call lands well, the next step is a written engagement letter. This is typically prepared within five working days of the framing call. It sets out the practice areas in scope, the deliverables, the fees, and the timeline. Once countersigned, work begins.
Mutual non-disclosure.
Before any client-specific or site-specific information is exchanged in detail, we put a mutual non-disclosure agreement in place. The MNDA covers Via Terra and the client; both parents (TechHer Capital and VIA DC) are bound by their own confidentiality obligations. We send a short intake form to gather the entity details required for the MNDA, and execute it via electronic signature. Most MNDAs are in place within two to three working days of the framing call.
Introduction Registry & fee protection.
Where Via Terra introduces a client to a counterparty (a landowner, an operator, a developer), the introduction is logged in our Introduction Registry with the date, the parties, and the scope of the introduction. The Registry establishes a 36-month tail period during which fee protection applies, regardless of who eventually negotiates the transaction. The Introduction Registry is a working tool, not a contract; fee protection itself is documented in the engagement letter and, where relevant, in an Accord de Transaction signed at the point of introduction.
How we communicate.
Senior involvement throughout: the people in the framing call are the people doing the work. Weekly status updates by email, milestone calls when needed, and ad-hoc availability for time-sensitive questions. We do not staff out delivery to junior teams, and we do not run multi-month silences.
How we conclude.
Most mandates conclude with one of three outcomes: a closed transaction (we found, qualified, and helped you secure the site), a documented decision not to proceed (the candidate sites did not stand up to qualification, or the operator's specification could not be met in the geography), or a structured handover to the client's internal team for execution. Each conclusion is documented in writing, and the engagement letter terms govern fee settlement.
Fourteen European countries. One operating standard.
Via Terra operates across fourteen European countries where VIA DC has established engineering presence, with TechHer Capital's commercial origination network covering the same geographies and selectively beyond.
Each market has its own grid operators, permitting framework, and commercial conventions. Via Terra deploys differently depending on the market.
France · Italy · Spain
We work directly through VIA DC's established relationships with national grid operators (RTE and Enedis in France, Terna in Italy, REE in Spain) and through TechHer Capital's commercial origination network.
Portugal & Greece
We work through partner engineering firms when local engineering presence is required, with VIA DC providing oversight and TerraNova methodology consistency.
Northern Europe
BENELUX · NORDICS · UK · IRELAND
We work selectively, typically when an existing client extends a mandate from a Southern or CEE market into these geographies.
Central & Eastern Europe
We work through both VIA DC's footprint and TechHer Capital's regional networks, with partner engineering firms where required. CEE markets include Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Baltic states.
A clear perimeter, in geography and scope.
Outside Europe and selective MENA markets, we do not currently take direct mandates. Where a client has multi-region needs, we work with introduced partners in those markets and confine Via Terra's scope to the European portion of the work.
Within Europe, we do not work on sites where the binding constraint is not powered land. If a client's question is fundamentally about platform-level capital structuring, fund formation, or general strategic advisory, we direct them to TechHer Capital. If the question is engineering execution beyond qualification, we direct them to VIA DC.
How Via Terra is led.
Via Terra is led by Blanka Thibaud as President, with VIA DC and TechHer Capital as co-owning parent firms contributing engineering depth and commercial origination respectively. The structure reflects the operating reality of the joint venture: a single accountable lead for client mandates, with the parents standing behind on engineering and commercial substance.
Blanka founded TechHer Capital in October 2025 after extensive European data center experience, most recently as data center site selection lead for Europe at AWS, where she covered site identification through grid interconnection across France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the Nordics. Before TechHer Capital, she co-founded Sepia Infrastructure, a data center infrastructure company backed by Engie, alongside members of Google's EMEA data center team. She has worked across more than fifty European and MENA jurisdictions and maintains direct relationships with the major national grid operators.
She holds an MPA from Columbia University, an MBA with a real estate specialisation from the University of Maryland, and a Bachelor's from the University of Hawaii. She speaks French, English, Serbian and Hungarian, and is based in Paris.
Two independent firms, behind one joint venture.
VIA DC
Independent technical, financial and environmental engineering firm based in Lyon, with operations across fourteen European countries. VIA DC contributes engineering depth to Via Terra mandates: grid feasibility, technical site qualification, environmental and permitting analysis, and the engineering oversight that translates a candidate site into an investment-committee-grade dossier.
via-dc.com →TechHer Capital
Independent strategic advisory firm based in Paris. Founded in October 2025 by Blanka Thibaud after a career in European data center site selection at AWS and Sepia Infrastructure. TechHer Capital contributes commercial origination, the operator and investor relationships, and the TerraNova methodology that Via Terra applies. The firm also delivers strategic and capital advisory mandates outside Via Terra's powered land scope.
techhercapital.com →Governance, lightly held.
Via Terra is governed by a strategic committee comprising representatives of both parent firms. Blanka Thibaud chairs the committee. The committee meets quarterly to set Via Terra's commercial strategy and review the JV's performance against its annual plan. Day-to-day operational decisions are delegated to the Présidente.
Contact Via Terra.
To discuss a powered land mandate, target zone analysis, or a site you need qualified.
If you have a powered land mandate to discuss, a target zone you want analysed, or a site you want qualified, the easiest way to start a conversation is the form below. We respond within five working days.
Tell us what you are working on.
Confirmation message after submission: "Thank you. We will be in touch within five working days at the email you provided. If your enquiry is time-sensitive, you can also reach us directly at contact@via-terra.eu."
Direct enquiries route to the Via Terra team. Same response window.
If our initial conversation leads to detailed discussion of a specific site, mandate, or transaction, we will propose a mutual non-disclosure agreement. We send a short intake form to gather the entity details required for the MNDA, and execute it via electronic signature. Most MNDAs are in place within two to three working days of the initial conversation.
Where Via Terra is evaluating a site, the MNDA covers Via Terra, TechHer Capital, and VIA DC as the joint venture parents and the operational vehicle. This is standard for any operator, investor, or landowner conversation that involves site-specific information.
Where we are.
Via Terra SAS
Address to be confirmed once Via Terra office is established. Until then, correspondence may be addressed to the TechHer Capital office at 59 rue de Courcelles, 75008 Paris, France.
TechHer Capital
Independent strategic advisory for European AI infrastructure.
59 rue de Courcelles, 75008 Paris, France.
VIA DC
Independent technical, financial and environmental engineering firm based in Lyon, operating across fourteen European countries.
via-dc.com →Broader advisory
Strategic, commercial, and capital advisory work that sits outside Via Terra's powered land scope is delivered by TechHer Capital.
blanka@techhercapital.com →Mentions légales.
Required by French law (LCEN, 2004). Until Via Terra SAS is legally constituted, the site is edited by TechHer Capital SASU on behalf of the joint venture. These mentions will be updated upon registration of Via Terra SAS at the Registre du commerce et des sociétés.
Editor of the site.
- Société : TechHer Capital SASU
- Forme juridique : Société par actions simplifiée unipersonnelle
- Capital social : 100 €
- Siège social : 59 rue de Courcelles, 75008 Paris, France
- RCS : RCS Paris 992 996 322
- SIREN : 992 996 322
- SIRET (siège) : 992 996 322 00010
- Numéro de TVA intracommunautaire : FR 56 992 996 322
- Directrice de la publication : Blanka Thibaud, Présidente de TechHer Capital SASU
- Adresse de contact : contact@via-terra.eu
Hébergement.
- Hébergeur : Scaleway SAS
- Adresse : 8 rue de la Ville l'Évêque, 75008 Paris, France
- RCS : RCS Paris 433 115 904
- Téléphone : +33 1 84 13 00 00
- Site web : www.scaleway.com
Propriété intellectuelle.
All content on this site, including text, structure, graphic elements, the Via Terra name and visual identity, is the property of TechHer Capital SASU, of Via DC, or of their respective partners, and is protected by French and international intellectual property law. The TerraNova methodology framework, applied by Via Terra in its work, is the intellectual property of TechHer Capital SASU, and will be licensed to Via Terra SAS under a written licence agreement upon the latter's constitution. Any reproduction, representation, modification, publication, transmission or use of the content, in whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, is strictly prohibited without prior written consent and would constitute an infringement sanctioned by articles L.335-2 and following of the French Intellectual Property Code.
Données personnelles.
In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 (GDPR) and the French Data Protection Act as amended, you have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict, port and object to the processing of your personal data.
TechHer Capital SASU, acting on behalf of the Via Terra joint venture, processes a limited amount of personal data, principally the contact details of professional counterparties who have initiated a commercial relationship with the firm. This includes data submitted through the "Start a conversation" form on the Contact page and the methodology download form on the Methodology page. Both are processed on the basis of the editor's legitimate interest in evaluating and following up on enquiries.
Conversation form submissions and methodology download submissions are retained for 24 months from submission, then deleted. Submissions that result in an executed engagement are retained per the firm's standard mandate record-keeping policy (typically 7 years from engagement closure under French commercial law).
The site does not use tracking cookies, behavioural analytics or advertising cookies. Only strictly necessary cookies may be set, without requiring prior consent pursuant to article 82 of the French Data Protection Act.
Data subjects may exercise their rights by writing to contact@via-terra.eu. A complaint may also be filed with the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL — www.cnil.fr).
Dernière mise à jour : 12 mai 2026. This document will be revised upon registration of Via Terra SAS to reflect the change of editor.