Read first

Start Here

Ten-chapter side-by-side across the nine company guides in this topic plus broader landscape context. The synthesis you read after the individual profiles — or as a fast standalone if you only have an hour for the whole landscape.

Scope & audience

Cross-cutting comparison: business models, scale, hardware, pricing, customer segments, strategic positioning, recent moves, and investment thesis. The chapters are organized so each addresses one dimension across all nine companies. Useful as a reference; updated as the landscape evolves.

Key framings to carry

  1. One axis at a time. Each chapter compares one dimension across the cast. Don't try to read this chapter-by-chapter as a single company story; read it dimension-by-dimension across companies.
  2. The market is heterogeneous. No single neocloud is the right answer to every buyer. Different segments win different providers; understanding the segmentation is the most important takeaway.
  3. The 2025–2026 strategic moves are still settling. CoreWeave's Meta deal, Nebius's Microsoft commitment, Crusoe's Stargate involvement — these all happened recently enough that their full implications haven't played out. Hold conclusions loosely.

Reading order

01 (the cast — quick reference) → 02 (business models) → then the dimension chapters in whatever order matters to your decision. Use 09 (investment thesis matrix) as the synthesis.