Alibaba Cloud vs Nebius

Alibaba Cloud Recognized as a Notable Vendor in Forrester's 'The Web Application Protection Platforms Landscape, Q3 2026'

Alibaba Cloud has been recognized as a Notable Vendor in Forrester's Q3 2026 Web Application Protection Platforms Landscape, highlighting its robust web security capabilities.

China's Ulanqab Data Centers: Who Pays for the Grid Wait

In Ulanqab, a Chinese AI data center hub, grid infrastructure is still under construction, causing delays between completed data centers and their power connection. Operators like GDS invest before service begins and collect no fees until billing starts. The Financial Times reports about 15 GW of committed capacity, while Goldman Sachs counted 12.5 GW. Data centers used 3.27 billion kWh in H1 2026, up 89.5% year-over-year. Power costs in Ulanqab are about Rmb 0.358 per kWh, much cheaper than Beijing's Rmb 0.80. However, substation construction can take three to five years, far longer than the 12 months to build a data center hall. The article examines the financial risk operators carry during these waits.

• About 15 GW of data center capacity has been committed in Ulanqab, according to the Financial Times.
• Goldman Sachs counted 12.5 GW of operating and planned capacity in June, up from 3.3 GW in July 2025.
• Data centers in Ulanqab used 3.27 billion kWh in H1 2026, up 89.5% year-over-year.

Joe Tsai: Open Source Is Europe's AI Opportunity

Alibaba Cloud's blog features a new post by Joe Tsai discussing open source as Europe's AI opportunity, alongside other new posts on QwenWork, Qoder, and AgentCore.

Trump Urges Data Centers to Pay Community Dividends

U.S. President Donald Trump urged data center companies to 'MAKE DEALS' with local communities, suggesting they pay a 'dividend' to individuals or communities to gain support for their facilities. The comments come amid growing public opposition and concerns about the environmental impact and financial health of the AI data center buildout. Nebius CRO Marc Boroditsky expressed openness to the idea, noting discussions about funneling rewards back to communities. HSBC CEO Georges Elhedery advised selectivity in financing, emphasizing the quality of tenancy agreements. Power constraints and grid impacts remain central issues, with leaders like Crusoe's CEO highlighting the challenge of finding powered land and navigating local permitting. Trump also mandated that data centers generate their own electricity and sell excess back to the grid to prevent price increases.

• Trump suggested data centers pay local communities a 'dividend' to gain support.
• Nebius CRO Marc Boroditsky said the company is '100% in principle' open to community investment discussions.
• HSBC CEO Georges Elhedery advised being selective in financing data center projects.

Rising Interest Rates Hit AI Data Center Builders

Rising interest rates are putting pressure on AI data center builders, particularly neoclouds like CoreWeave, Nebius, Nscale, and Firmus. CoreWeave's bonds are trading at a 15% yield, and its stock has fallen 30% but remains 60% above IPO price. Firmus pulled its IPO after investors balked at a $30 billion valuation. Nscale's IPO is shaky amid doubts about its $35 billion valuation. Anthropic's revenue growth is slowing, with Q3 revenue near $17 billion, up 46% quarter-over-quarter but below previous 100% growth. Investors now discuss a $1.5 trillion valuation for Anthropic, below the $2 trillion target. The article also covers a lawsuit by Valar Atomics founder against investor Day One Ventures over pro-rata rights, and Ramp data showing AI token spending flattening.

• CoreWeave's bonds trade at a 15% yield, stock down 30% but 60% above IPO price.
• Firmus Grid pulled its IPO after investors rejected a $30 billion valuation.
• Anthropic reported Q3 revenue near $17 billion, up 46% quarter-over-quarter.

AI Neocloud Stocks Like CoreWeave and Nebius Sell Off

AI neocloud companies such as CoreWeave and Nebius are experiencing a significant sell-off in the stock market. These companies, which provide cloud computing services specialized for AI workloads, share a similar business model and often serve the same major customers. The article likely discusses factors such as market saturation, dependency on a few large clients, and broader tech sector volatility. The sell-off reflects investor concerns about the sustainability of the AI infrastructure boom, potential overcapacity, and the concentration of revenue among a handful of tech giants.

• AI neocloud stocks like CoreWeave and Nebius are experiencing a sell-off.
• Neoclouds share the same business model and many of the same customers.
• The sell-off was reported on October 15, 2026, by CNBC.