Meet the client: Sam Allen, founder of Inova DC

In our popular ‘Meet the Client’ interview series, we share the stories behind the businesses we support. In this edition, we sat down with Sam Allen, founder of Inova DC, a business that specialises in liquid cooling solutions for data centres. Their technology helps data centres run more efficiently, reduce energy consumption and manage heat more effectively than traditional air-cooling systems.

What does the business do?

‘We specialise in liquid cooling technology,’ says Sam. ‘We help businesses manage the heat generated by their data centres, keeping them at safe, stable temperatures.

‘To put it into perspective, a typical data centre rack currently produces around 130 kilowatts of heat. Within the next two to three years, that’s expected to rise to 600 kilowatts. The thermal impact of that is huge. If the cooling system were to fail, and the technology didn’t automatically shut down, it could quickly overheat and even catch fire.

‘We’ve also expanded into related areas that complement our cooling offerings. While liquid cooling isn’t new to us, it is to many of the industries we support. So once clients have solved their cooling challenge, the next question is often: ‘How do I get enough power to run it all?’ To address this need, we’ve stepped in to offer solutions that not only manage heat but also help deliver the power needed to keep operations running efficiently.’

How has the business grown?

‘We’re a global business with a team of just under 50 people, says Sam. ‘We’ve had an exceptional first few years, and Samantha Wragg, along with the wider team at Harper James, has been instrumental in supporting that success.’

‘Our operations are based in the US, but we expanded into the UK around 18 months ago. Since then, we’ve continued to grow internationally. We now have team members in China, Taiwan, India, Australia and Thailand, and we’re planning to recruit in Africa and the Middle East as our global footprint expands further.’

What challenges has the business faced along the way?

‘We’ve faced a few legal challenges along the way, and Harper James has been key in helping us navigate them,’ says Sam. ‘Their expertise and depth of knowledge have been invaluable. Whether it’s a quick NDA review or advice on a much more complex issue. Knowing we have that support on hand gives us real peace of mind.

‘The data centre industry is dominated by large players, many of whom have large in-house legal teams. Even our biggest customers, great companies with brilliant people, come to the table well-supported. As someone without a legal background, that was initially overwhelming. So, having a legal partner we can call or email for straightforward, responsive advice has made a real difference. It lets us focus on doing what we do best and it helps futureproof our business.’

What advice would you give to other CEOs?

‘The best advice I can give to any CEO or someone starting a business is to get legal advice as early as possible,’ says Sam. ‘I made the mistake of only looking for legal support when we needed it and thankfully, we were lucky to find Harper James when we did. Without their expert guidance to help us take the right steps, I honestly don’t know where we’d be. Having a dedicated legal adviser who understands your business is invaluable. They can guide you through decisions, spot risks you might not see, and handle the details so you don’t have to.’

What made you choose to work with Harper James?

‘When it became clear we needed legal support, Charlotte, our Executive Vice President, took the lead on finding the right firm. She came across Harper James, and the first impression was excellent. The discovery call was even better and just when we thought we couldn’t be more impressed, we were introduced to Samantha Wragg.

‘Samantha Wragg and the dispute resolution team at Harper James have been absolutely fantastic. They explained everything in clear, plain English and guided us through each step with complete transparency. It made the whole process easy to understand and gave us real confidence in the solutions she put forward.’

What do the next twelve months look like for your business?

‘We’ve built the company in a bit of an unconventional way. A large proportion of our team is made up of mechanical engineers, procurement specialists, logistics and supply chain professionals. We are now looking to become more client-facing and visible in the market. We already work with some of the biggest customers in the world, but there’s still a lot of work to be done on brand awareness. Strengthening our presence should open up new opportunities and drive further growth in the UK and abroad.’