Stirling Square, TA Associates, and Macquarie Capital Complete Acquisition of Byggfakta

Stirling Square

Stockholm, 8 May 2024 – A consortium consisting of Stirling Square, TA Associates (“TA”), and Macquarie Capital has completed the acquisition of Byggfakta, a leading information and software provider within the construction industry. The acquisition follows a public offer to the shareholders of Byggfakta, unanimously recommended by the Independent Bid Committee of Byggfakta’s Board of Directors.

Byggfakta is a leading provider of data, insights, and software solutions for the global construction industry, serving over 50,000 customers. The company, headquartered in Ljusdal, Sweden, was founded in 1936 and has more than 2,000 employees spanning more than 20 countries. Byggfakta’s core operations encompass five areas: Project Information, Specification, Market Intelligence, Product Information, and E-tendering.

Stirling Square has been the largest shareholder in Byggfakta since 2017, with its relationship to senior management dating back to 2014. TA acquired a significant minority stake in Byggfakta in September 2020, joining Stirling Square. Since their initial investments, Stirling Square and TA have enabled value creation by supporting Byggfakta’s efforts to improve its commercial and operational capabilities, and in executing on its acquisition strategy to broaden the company’s service offering and expand internationally. Stirling Square and TA have now formed a partnership with Macquarie Capital, to support Byggfakta’s future journey.

Stirling Square, TA, and Macquarie Capital see great opportunities for Byggfakta to become a global champion within the construction technology industry with a central role in the ongoing development of the sector. By facilitating operational and financial resources and leveraging the consortium’s combined track record from similar growth stories, Byggfakta will be positioned to accelerate delivery of continued organic growth and strategic M&A.

Ben Hopper, Managing Director, Stirling Square,commented:

“The return to a private markets environment is an important moment for Byggfakta as we continue supporting the company to achieve its ambition to become a global leader in data and software solutions for the construction industry. We believe this transition from the public markets will enable the company to accelerate its long-term growth potential through further international M&A supported by long-term shareholders providing additional capital and deep domain expertise. We are delighted to be working alongside Dario and the talented team at Byggfakta together with our longstanding partner TA and to welcome an investor we have long admired in Macquarie Capital.”

Naveen Wadhera, Managing Director, TA, comments:

“Since partnering with Byggfakta in 2020, we have witnessed significant progress and are optimistic about the substantial opportunities that lie ahead with the acceleration of the company’s M&A strategy. We look forward to working with the Byggfakta team, Stirling Square and Macquarie in the execution of our new joint strategy.”

Adam Joseph, Head of Private Equity for Macquarie Capital Principal Finance Europe, comments:

“We have been following the development of Byggfakta for some time and are impressed with its achievements to date that have positioned the company as a leader within the construction software and data industry. We are looking forward to joining forces with Stirling Square and TA in supporting Byggfakta’s continued growth journey.”

Dario Aganovic, CEO, Byggfakta:

“Over the years, Byggfakta has successfully established unique database content, market leading software, and strong customer engagement. Looking ahead, we have a clear strategy to become an even stronger global player and a world-leading company in our industry. I am excited to deepen our partnership with Stirling Square and TA and to join forces with Macquarie Capital in the years to come,enabling an acceleration of our strategy.”

On 6 May 2024, the offer was closed with Stirling Square, TA, and Macquarie Capital, through Giant BidCo, controlling 99.8 per cent of the shares in Byggfakta.

About Byggfakta

Byggfakta Group is a global data and software company with roots stretching back to 1936, more than 2,000 employees and operations in 26 countries. The Company offers services that connect the construction sector, thereby increasing total growth and promoting better construction. Its unique data, insights and software solutions help customers to maximise sales, increase efficiency and build more sustainably. The core operations encompass five areas: Project Information, Specification, Market Intelligence, Product Information, and E-tendering. Byggfakta mainly generates subscription revenue, which currently exceeds SEK 2 billion annually. Byggfakta’s goal is to grow organically by 10% per year and to grow an additional 5–15 percent per year through acquisitions. Byggfakta Group has been listed on Nasdaq Stockholm since 2021.

About Stirling Square

Stirling Square is a private limited liability company (société à responsabilité limitée) governed by the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, having its registered office at 8, rue Lou Hemmer, L-1748 Senningerberg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and registered with the Luxembourg Trade and Companies Register (Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés, Luxembourg) under number B 259546.

Stirling Square is a leading pan-European mid-market private equity firm based in London. Stirling Square has extensive experience investing in the Nordics. Its current portfolio includes Infobric, Assist24, Logent and SAR. Founded in 2002, Stirling Square is a partner to leading European mid-market businesses, with over 20-year track record of investing with conviction in market-leading platforms in the EUR 100 million to EUR 500 million enterprise value range. Since inception, Stirling Square has invested in 30+ platform companies and 100+ add-on acquisitions globally, helping to create regional and global champions. The firm has raised four funds and manages over EUR 3 billion on behalf of a global and diverse investor base. The investment team consists of more than 20 investment professionals, who have in aggregate committed 16 per cent of the total capital of the fourth fund ensuring full alignment with the success of its portfolio companies and their management teams. Stirling Square has been the largest shareholder in Byggfakta since 2017, with its relationship to senior management dating back to 2014.

About TA Associates

TA is a private limited liability company (société à responsabilité limitée) governed by the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, having its registered office at 40, avenue Monterey, L-2163 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and registered with the Luxembourg Trade and Companies Register (Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés, Luxembourg) under number B 259878.

TA is a leading global private equity firm focused on scaling growth in profitable companies. Since 1968, TA has invested in more than 560 companies across its five target industries—technology, healthcare, financial services, consumer and business services. Leveraging its deep industry expertise and strategic resources, TA collaborates with management teams worldwide to help high-quality companies deliver lasting value. The firm has raised $65 billion in capital to date and has over 150 investment professionals across offices in Boston, Menlo Park, Austin, London, Mumbai and Hong Kong. TA acquired a significant minority stake in Byggfakta in September 2020, alongside existing investor Stirling Square.

About Macquarie Capital

Macquarie Capital is the advisory, capital markets and principal investment arm of Macquarie Group. It encompasses corporate advisory, a full spectrum of capital solutions, including capital raising services from equity, debt and private capital markets and principal investments from Macquarie’s balance sheet. Macquarie Capital has deep sector expertise in the aerospace, defense and government services, consumer, gaming and leisure, critical minerals, energy, financial institutions, healthcare, industrials, infrastructure, services, software, technology, telecommunications and media sectors.

Macquarie Capital Principal Finance, the financing and principal investing arm of Macquarie Capital makes investments from Macquarie’s balance sheet, provides flexible primary financing and secondary market investing solutions for corporate and commercial real estate clients across North America, Europe and Australasia.

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Cotiviti Completes Recapitalization With KKR And Long-Standing Owner Veritas

KKR

SALT LAKE CITY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Cotiviti, a leading healthcare data analytics and technology business, announced today the close of its business recapitalization with two premier firms, affiliates of its long-standing partner Veritas Capital (Veritas) and investment funds managed by KKR. KKR and Veritas are now co-sponsors with equal ownership stakes in Cotiviti.

Cotiviti’s mission is to improve the healthcare system through its combination of advanced technology, data analytics, and specialized expertise. Its dynamic, integrated SaaS solutions enable health plans to solve their biggest challenges by closing care gaps, helping to ensure claims are appropriately reimbursed, capturing population risk accurately, and engaging consumers through highly tailored, multichannel approaches.

“This is a significant milestone for Cotiviti and one that positions us for continued growth across the healthcare ecosystem as we leverage our deep expertise and infrastructure,” said Emad Rizk, M.D., Chairman, President, and CEO of Cotiviti. “In Veritas and KKR, we have two world-class investment firms joining forces because of their belief in our mission. With their support, we have additional capital to accelerate innovation and fund growth investments in commercial expansion, new product development, and technology-related opportunities. As we enter this next chapter, we remain committed to providing greater value through our differentiated scalable service model, accelerating meaningful innovation across our platform, and delivering deep expertise as a trusted partner to our customers.”

“Veritas partners with businesses like Cotiviti whose products and services drive industry transformation and where our investment can help strengthen those solutions for the benefit of customers,” said Ramzi Musallam, CEO and Managing Partner of Veritas. “Over the course of our investment, Veritas supported a series of organic and inorganic initiatives that drove sustained, transformative growth. With the close of this transaction and the combined support of Veritas and KKR, Cotiviti is optimally equipped to continue its growth trajectory while driving further advancements to improve the sustainability of the healthcare system and quality of care.”

“We are thrilled to support Cotiviti’s mission to meaningfully improve today’s healthcare system,” said Max Lin, Partner at KKR. “Cotiviti’s portfolio of best-in-class solutions is used and trusted by over two hundred healthcare payers, including some of the largest plans in the United States, to enable accuracy, efficiency, and quality for all stakeholders. We look forward to working alongside the Cotiviti management team and Veritas to further scale the business through strategically investing in innovation, talent, and technology.”

About Cotiviti:

Cotiviti enables healthcare organizations to deliver better care at lower cost through advanced technology and data analytics, helping to ensure the quality and sustainability of how healthcare is delivered in the United States. Cotiviti’s solutions are a critical foundation for healthcare payers in their mission to lower healthcare costs and improve quality through higher performing payment accuracyquality improvementrisk adjustment, and consumer engagement programs. The company also supports the retail industry with data management and recovery audit services that improve business outcomes. For more information, visit www.cotiviti.com.

About KKR:

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR’s insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com. For additional information about Global Atlantic Financial Group, please visit Global Atlantic Financial Group’s website at www.globalatlantic.com.

About Veritas Capital:

Veritas is a longstanding technology investor with approximately $40 billion of assets under management and a focus on companies operating at the intersection of technology and government. The firm invests in companies that provide critical products, software, and services, primarily technology and technology-enabled solutions, to government and commercial customers worldwide. Veritas seeks to create value by strategically transforming the companies in which it invests through organic and inorganic means. Leveraging technology to make a positive impact across vitally important areas, such as healthcare, education, and national security, is core to the firm. Veritas is a proud steward of national assets, improving the quality of healthcare while reducing cost, advancing our educational system, and protecting our nation and allies. For more information, visit www.veritascapital.com.

Contacts

Cotiviti
Ross Homer
Aria Marketing for Cotiviti
+1 (508) 344-8051
rhomer@ariamarketing.com

KKR
Julia Kosygina or Emily Cummings
+ 1 (212) 750-8300
media@kkr.com

Veritas Capital
Prosek Partners
Pro-Veritas@Prosek.com

 

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Dawn Capital and Insight Partners back Spain’s data startup Onum with a $28m Series A

Dawn

The startup will use the money to expand to the US

Zosia Wanat

2 min read

Madrid-based Onum has raised a $28m Series A led by Dawn Capital — just seven months after its launch. The startup, which helps companies manage and monitor big datasets, will use the money to expand globally, mostly to the US.

What does Onum do? 

Onum’s mission is to help companies isolate and observe valuable information within large datasets in real-time.

According to the company, only about 15% of a typical organisation’s data is business-critical, requiring immediate analysis. Since most businesses have no way of discerning the valuable information from the noise, however, many organisations send all of their data to analytics platforms for analysis, resulting in higher costs and longer processing times.

Onum gives the example of a large bank that’s trying to enhance its IT network security capabilities and meet strict compliance requirements. The startup says it allows the bank to focus exclusively on the data that matters, so they can more accurately and cost-effectively detect security threats based on warning signs in their data across their whole network.

Unlike some of its competitors, Onum says it doesn’t only reduce the amount of data that a client needs to process, but can also tailor the service to individual business needs, such as risk reduction, compliance, customer usage, and network efficiency.

The startup was cofounded in October 2023 by Lucas Varela, Pedro Tortosa and Pedro Castillo, the latter of whom also founded cloud analytics and security platform Devo, valued at more than $2bn. It says it’s already won several enterprise customers including major financial institutions, global consulting firms and large telecommunications companies, mostly in Spain.

Where will the money go? 

Onum employs nearly 50 employees, and plans to use the fresh funding to accelerate product development and hire more people this year, opening a new office in Boston.

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Who has invested? 

  • Dawn Capital, London-based B2B software VC venture capital;
  • Kibo Ventures, Madrid-based VC;
  • Insight Partners, New York-based VC.

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Triton signs agreements to sell Norstat

Triton

Stockholm (Sweden) / Oslo (Norway), 10 April 2024 – The Triton Smaller Mid-Cap Fund I advised by Triton (“Triton”) has signed an agreement to sell Nemas Holdco AS (“Norstat” or “the company”), a leading data collector for market research, to Nalka Invest (“Nalka”), partnered with Kirk Kapital. Terms and conditions of the transaction are not disclosed. Closing is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Since Norstat was acquired by Triton in 2019, it has been developed into a market-leading consumer data collection platform across Europe. Triton has, among other things, supported the company through strengthening its commercial capabilities, internationalising its business through acquisitions, improving its operations (including automation of processes), and adding new digital products and solutions such as Norstat Express and TestingTime. A total of seven strategic add-ons were completed by Norstat in Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and the UK from 2021 to 2023.

Today, Norstat serves more than 2,000 market research firms, private and public end-clients, media & advertising agencies, publishers, and consultancies across different industries. It delivers real data collected from real people across Europe that can be trusted to drive decision making.

Daniel Björklund, Investment Advisory Professional at Triton, said: “The team at Norstat have achieved great results and we are happy to conclude a very successful journey together. We have been able to drive significant growth, expanding Norstat’s offering and geographical reach, while continuously building on its strong commitment to quality and client service. We believe Nalka is the right partner to continue Norstat’s positive development and we wish them every success together.”

Erling Eriksen, CEO of Norstat, said: “Norstat and Triton have created and implemented a business strategy that has seen Norstat double in size the last years. Together we have built a bigger, stronger, and more professional company. During the years of Triton’s ownership, we have sought out new routes and opportunities; undertaken a rapid technological shift, launched several digital products and completed seven successful acquisitions and integrations. It’s been a great journey, made possible by fantastic employees dedicated to high-quality data and client service. In Nalka, we have found a new partner that is able to support us from the strong position we have achieved today, and we are very much looking forward to the co-operation”.

Martin Lagerblad, Managing Director, Nalka Invest said: “Norstat is truly a leading company within its market, that we have followed over time. We are impressed by the team and its position as the go-to provider of high-quality data and insights in Europe. The deal is pending regulatory approval, but we are looking forward to our future cooperation with Norstat and to contribute to the company’s development. We are also glad to partner with Kirk Kapital as a large minority shareholder, a strong partner sharing our values and long-term perspective on business development”.  

Norstat and Triton were advised by William Blair as lead financial advisor.

About Norstat
Norstat is one of the leading data collectors for market research and insight in Europe. We use well-grounded research methods to collect reliable data about any desired topic or target group. This information helps you to make the right decisions and become better in what you do. We don’t confine ourselves to a specific method of data collection – we do whatever works best: scientifically proven, fair to the respondents and sustainable for the industry.

The company was established in Norway in 1997 and has since grown its geographical presence to include Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria and Italy.

For further information: www.norstat.co

About Triton 
Founded in 1997 and owned by its partners, Triton is a leading European mid-market sector-specialist investor. Triton focuses on investing in businesses that provide mission critical goods and services in its three core sectors of Business Services, Industrial Tech, and Healthcare.

Triton has over 200 investment professionals across 11 offices and invests through three complementary “All Weather” strategies: Mid-Market Private Equity, Smaller Mid-Cap Private Equity, and Opportunistic Credit.

For further information: www.triton-partners.com


About Nalka Invest

Nalka is an investment firm investing in market-leading small and medium-sized businesses based in the Nordic and DACH regions. Nalka has offices in Stockholm and Munich and develops independent, competitive, sustainable and long-term profitable companies, through commitment and cooperation.
Read more at www.nalka.com

Press Contacts

Triton

Fredrik Hazén

Phone: +46 709 483 810

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EQT to sell Rimes, a global leader in enterprise data management solutions for the investment industry, to Five Arrows

eqt
  • EQT, together with its co-shareholders, to sell Rimes to Five Arrows
  • During EQT’s ownership, Rimes has successfully transformed from a specialist vendor of Benchmark and Index (B&I) data solutions to a provider of full-spectrum Enterprise Data Management as a Service (EDMaaS) and Investment Management Platform offerings to the global investment industry
  • Today, Rimes serves 60 of the world’s top 100 asset managers, as well as the 10 largest asset servicers in the world

EQT is pleased to announce that EQT Mid Market Europe (“EQT”), together with its co-shareholders, has agreed to sell Rimes (“Rimes” or the “Company”) to the Five Arrows Long Term Fund and Five Arrows Principal Investments (together “Five Arrows”). Five Arrows is the alternative assets arm of Rothschild & Co.

Founded in 1996, Rimes is a trusted partner to the world’s largest asset managers and asset owners, with its customers representing more than USD 75 trillion global assets under management. The Company helps its clients solve complex data problems, applying capabilities refined over 25 years, including an ecosystem of more than 800 data partners and deep domain expertise in investment data. Powered by its proprietary, multi-tenant cloud technology platform, Rimes’ data management solutions empower its clients to make better investment decisions using reliable data, while improving cost efficiency, and reducing operational risk.

Since EQT’s initial investment in 2020, it has supported Rimes in accelerating its growth and deepening its client relationships by expanding its market-leading B&I solutions to cover full-spectrum EDMaaS. In October 2021, Rimes further complemented its product offering with the acquisition of Matrix IDM, which added a powerful Investment Management Platform and data distribution and warehousing solutions. Today, Rimes is well-positioned to facilitate its customers’ strategic operating model transformations and to power AI-led investment strategies.

Robert Maclean, Partner within EQT Private Equity’s Advisory Team, said, “We were delighted when co-founder Christian Fauvelais chose to partner with EQT to pursue our shared vision of transforming Rimes into a global leader in EDMaaS solutions for the investment industry. It has been a pleasure working alongside management and the entire Rimes team to accelerate the Company’s growth.” Patrick McBride, Director within EQT Private Equity’s Advisory Team, added, “We believe Rimes has an incredibly bright outlook and is well-positioned to continue to deliver for its clients. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to partner with such an innovative and talented team, and we are confident that they will continue their successful growth with the support of Five Arrows.”

Brad Hunt, CEO of Rimes, “Rimes has been on a significant growth trajectory over the last few years, and I am proud of what the team has achieved by combining the customer-centric ethos and deep domain expertise that has differentiated us since 1996. Today, the firm’s most modern technology underpins an innovative, comprehensive product offering designed to address future investment data challenges. This transformation would not have been possible without the support of EQT and our Board, and we thank them for a productive and highly successful partnership. We look forward to joining forces with Five Arrows and building upon our strong momentum.”

Seif Khoufi and Constantin Sabet d’Acre, Managing Director and Director of the Five Arrows Long Term Fund, said “The Rimes team impressed us with their ambitious vision and their strong track-record of growing and scaling Rimes in a deeply customer-centric way. This is evidenced by industry-leading levels of customer satisfaction, and a history of solving a growing share of pain points for customers through continuous innovation. We are confident that Rimes is uniquely positioned to continue to support its customers’ expanding needs.” Vivek Kumar and Sacha Oshry, both Partners at Five Arrows Principal Investments, added, “We are delighted to be partnering with Brad and the team to unlock the next chapter of Rimes’ growth. We share in Rimes’ strategic vision centered around solving financial institutions’ most complex data problems across geographies, asset classes and customer types. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to support Rimes.”

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the coming months.

EQT and Rimes were advised by Evercore (corporate finance) and Latham and Watkins (legal). Five Arrows was advised by Jefferies (corporate finance) and Shoosmiths (legal).

Contact
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com

About EQT
EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization with EUR 232 billion in total assets under management (EUR 130 billion in fee-generating assets under management), within two business segments – Private Capital and Real Assets. EQT owns portfolio companies and assets in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas and supports them in achieving sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on LinkedIn, X, YouTube and Instagram

About Rimes
Rimes provides transformative Enterprise Data Management and Investment Management Platform solutions to the global investment community. Rimes is a trusted partner to the industry’s most sophisticated asset managers and asset owners, with its customers representing more than USD 75 trillion of global assets under management. Rimes helps its clients solve their most complex data problems, leveraging capabilities refined over 25 years including an unparalleled data partner ecosystem and deep domain expertise in investment data. Powered by its proprietary, multi-tenant cloud technology platform, Rimes’ data management solutions empower its clients to make better investment decisions using reliable data, while improving cost efficiency and reducing operational risk.

More info: www.rimes.com

About Five Arrows 
Five Arrows is the alternative assets arm of Rothschild & Co and has EUR 26 billion AuM with offices in Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Luxembourg. With over EUR 9 billion of assets under management, the corporate private equity business of Five Arrows is focused on investing in companies with highly defensible market positions; strong management teams; business models with high visibility of organic unit volume growth and strong unit economics; and multiple operational levers that can be used to unlock latent value. Sectors are limited to data and software, technology‑enabled business services and healthcare.

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GDS Enters Japan in Partnership with Gaw Capital to Build 40MW Tokyo Project

Gaw Capital

GDS Founder, Chairman, and CEO William Huang (left) and Gaw Capital Partners President and Managing Principal Kenneth Gaw (right) at the signing ceremony in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Apr 2, 202 GDS (NASDAQ: GDS; HKEX: 9698), a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in Asia, and Gaw Capital Partners, a private equity fund management firm focusing on real estate markets in Asia Pacific and other high barrier-to-entry markets globally, today announced a strategic partnership to build a 40 megawatts (MW) data center campus in Tokyo, Japan. With GDS making its first entry into the Japanese market, this move marks a significant expansion of GDS’s international footprint into North Asia following its successful growth in Southeast Asia and aims to meet the rising demand for digital infrastructure in Japan.

The partnership will see the development of a carrier-neutral data center campus in Fuchu, West Tokyo, addressing the growing demand for secure, scalable, and state-of-the-art digital infrastructure in Japan. Gaw Capital Partners, through a fund under its management, has acquired the two adjacent data center sites located in Fuchu Intelligent Park, a well-established data center cluster less than 30km from central Tokyo. Spanning a total land size of 10,969 sqm and with IT capacity expected to reach 40 MW, it will be the largest data center facility in Fuchu City in terms of IT load. GDS has already garnered preliminary customer demands and the operation is expected to commence by the end of 2026.

Japan is one of the world’s largest Tier 1 data center markets with over 3,000 MW of total IT load under development[1]. Greater Tokyo, known for its extensive domestic and international connectivity, serves as Japan’s largest data center hub, making it an ideal location for GDS’s first entry into the Japan market. The collaboration between GDS and Gaw Capital Partners underscores their shared commitment to advancing Japan’s digital infrastructure landscape.

William Huang, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of GDS, said, “Japan is one of the three core data center markets in the Asia-Pacific region, with its market size ranked among the top ten globally. GDS’s entry into Japan further strengthens our international presence and underscores our commitment to enabling digital transformation. Our successful cooperation with Gaw Capital Partners signifies that our international business now fully covers the three most important markets in the Asia-Pacific region outside of mainland China: Hong Kong, Southeast Asia region centered on SIJORI (Singapore-Johor-Riau Islands), and Japan. We are thrilled about the opportunities this collaboration presents for our global development. Given the booming demand for AI, we believe that the international business of GDS will achieve rapid growth.”

Kenneth Gaw, President and Managing Principal of Gaw Capital Partners, said, “Today marks a momentous step towards a digital future in Fuchu. This partnership combines Gaw Capital’s global real estate experience with GDS’s proven track record in operating high-performance data centers, signifying our shared commitment to delivering cutting-edge data solutions that meet and exceed the needs of businesses in the region.”

With its first data center in Japan expected to be operational by 2026, GDS’s expansion reaffirms its position as a leading provider of high-performance data centers in the Asia Pacific region.

-END-

 

About GDS  

GDS Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: GDS; HKEX: 9698) is a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in Asia Pacific. Its facilities are strategically located in primary economic hubs where demand for high-performance data center services is concentrated. With a track record spanning 23 years, GDS has successfully delivered services to some of the largest and most demanding customers in need of outsourced data center solutions. GDS serves over 860 customers as the largest carrier-neutral data center service provider in China. With over 100 data centers, GDS offers data center services to hyperscale cloud service providers, large internet companies, financial institutions, telecommunications carriers, IT service providers, as well as large private sector and multinational corporations. To learn more about GDS, please visit http://www.gds-services.com.

 

About Gaw Capital Partners

Gaw Capital Partners is a uniquely positioned private equity fund management company focusing on real estate markets in Asia Pacific and other high barrier-to-entry markets globally.

Specializing in adding strategic value to under-utilized real estate through redesign and repositioning, Gaw Capital runs an integrated business model with its own in-house asset management operating platforms in commercial, hospitality, property development, logistics, IDC, and Education. The firm’s investments span the entire spectrum of real estate sectors, including residential development, offices, retail malls, serviced apartments, hotels, logistics warehouses and IDC projects.

Gaw Capital has raised seven commingled funds targeting the APAC region since 2005. The firm also manages value-add/opportunistic funds in the US, a Pan-Asia hospitality fund, a European hospitality fund, a Growth Equity Fund and it also provides services for credit investments and separate account direct investments globally.

Gaw Capital has raised equity of US$22.3 billion since 2005 with assets of US$33.7 billion under management as of Q3 2023.

 

[1] Structure Research DCI Report Japan+ Osaka, 2023

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GDS Holdings (NASDAQ:GDS) Announces Landmark US$587 million Equity Raise for its International Business

Princeville Capital

GDS Holdings (GDSH) Limited, a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China and Southeast Asia, announced that GDSH’s wholly-owned subsidiary, GDS International (GDSI), that acts as the holding company for GDSH’s international data center assets and operations, has entered into definitive agreements with Princeville Capital and other leading international private equity investors including Hillhouse, Rava Partners, Boyu Capital, and Tekne Capital to invest in GDSI’s US$587 million Series A. This transaction is a significant step forward for GDSI in obtaining dedicated financing for the development of its current significant data center pipeline, as well as further international expansion.

 

GDSI was established in 2022, with its corporate headquarters in Singapore. Its portfolio currently comprises 330 MW of data center capacity in service and under construction and a further 340 MW held for future development across strategic locations in, among others, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. GDSI has secured commitments and reservations from customers for over 200 MW of capacity, of which over 70 MW is already revenue-generating.

 

“I am delighted to announce this landmark capital raising, which is a big step forward in our strategy to obtain dedicated financing for the development of our international business on a standalone basis,” said Mr. William Huang, Chairman and CEO of GDSH and Chairman of GDSI. “Within a short period of time, we have established market-leading positions in the major hub markets of Hong Kong and Singapore-Johor-Batam. We see tremendous opportunities for growth in these markets as well as in other new markets which we are currently evaluating. This equity issue benchmarks the significant value, which we have created for our shareholders. We look forward to additional achievements by our international business, further emulating our success in China.”

 

GDS Announcement: https://investors.gds-services.com/news-releases/news-release-details/gds-announces-landmark-us587-million-equity-raise-its

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Ardian completes acquisition of leading green data center platform Verne

Ardian

Ardian will support Verne with up to $1.2bn of commitment to fund an ambitious and sustainable expansion plan across Northern Europe
• Ardian is securing a newly green financing package underwritten by a group of tier 1 European and International banks
• Management will benefit from Ardian’s expertise in the region, its industrial approach and experience across the full digital infrastructure value chain

Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, has completed the acquisition of the entire share capital of Verne (formerly Verne Global), a leading data center platform headquartered in the UK and diversified across Northern Europe, from Digital 9 Infrastructure plc (D9), an investment company listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Investment rationale

Founded in 2012, Verne addresses a large and fast-growing market in Northern Europe, where it has consistently delivered access to cost-effective renewable energy and international connectivity spanning Europe and North America for its international clients.

Its highly competitive total cost of ownership to customers, green credentials and best-in-class availability makes Verne a market-leading choice for organizations running high-performance computing (HPC) workloads, notably AI, Machine Learning and Large Language Models (LLM).

Sustainability has also been at the heart of the company’s mission since its inception, helping customers to scale their digital infrastructure cost-effectively while reducing their carbon footprint. Verne currently operates with 100% renewable energy in Iceland and 100% decarbonized energy in Finland and the UK.

Its blue-chip customers include leading industrials, financial services, research and AI organizations.

Ambitious value creation plan

Based on these strong pillars, Ardian will support the expansion of Verne with up to $1.2bn committed investment through equity and debt to deliver an ambitious growth plan for Northern Europe supported by Verne’s strong and experienced management team.
As part of its value creation strategy, Ardian plans to multiply Verne’s existing sold capacity of 29 MW for 2023 by close to four times in the medium term.

Ardian will bring its investment experience to support Verne in the region, where the company benefits from construction and operating synergies across the geographies and a strong pipeline of opportunities. This includes existing sites and new locations, with a focus on Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and Norway, as well as potential opportunities more broadly in Northern Europe.

The Verne’s top tier management team, including highly experienced data center experts and seasoned professionals, will benefit from direct access to Ardian’s networks and multi-local approach, with various offices across Northern Europe. Verne will also work with Ardian’s Data Science team to apply new AI use cases in managing its data centers.

This acquisition builds on Ardian’s deep expertise in investing and managing assets across the digital infrastructure value chain and in its core markets, including the UK and Nordic countries.

Ardian currently has $31bn of assets under management (AUM) in direct infrastructure activities. It has $6bn deployed across different sub-sectors of digital infrastructure. Its investment portfolio of renewable energy in the Nordics currently aggregates to $3bn, notably wind parks totaling c. 500 MW and Nevel, the Finnish district heating company backed by Ardian in 2021.

This represents a Sustainable Investment in accordance with the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), meeting the environmental objective of the Fund through 100% eligibility to the EU Taxonomy with a clearly defined roadmap to reach alignment under Ardian’s ownership.

“With this new investment, the Infrastructure team continues to demonstrate its capacity to seize unique and value accretive opportunities in the European market to deploy our new flagship infrastructure fund.” Juan Angoitia and Benoît Gaillochet, Co-Heads of Infrastructure Europe, Ardian

“Having identified the company through our systemic matrix sourcing approach, looking through both a digital infrastructure and country specific lens, we identified Verne as a truly green data center compared with its peers globally.
This investment is fully aligned with our approach at Ardian of investing into platforms and delivering strong returns through major industrial strategy backed by an accelerated capex plan.  Ardian will support Verne’s top tier management team to match the incredible and fascinating customer AI-driven demand. With this investment, Ardian Infrastructure is now exposed to the whole digital infrastructure value chain capitalizing on global digitalization trends.” Gonzague Boutry, Managing Director – Digital Infrastructure, Ardian

“This is an exciting day for Verne as we become part of the Ardian platform. We have ambitious plans to continue growing the company and delivering sustainable data center solutions. We want to enable organizations to cost-effectively scale their digital infrastructure while reducing their environmental impact. We are hugely excited to be working with Ardian to help power our future.” Dominic Ward, CEO, Verne

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house, managing or advising $164bn of assets on behalf of more than 1,600 clients globally. Our broad expertise, spanning Private Equity, Real Assets and Credit, enables us to offer a wide range of investment opportunities and respond flexibly to our clients’ differing needs. Through Ardian Customized Solutions we create bespoke portfolios that allow institutional clients to specify the precise mix of assets they require and to gain access to funds managed by leading third-party sponsors. Private Wealth Solutions offers dedicated services and access solutions for private banks, family offices and private institutional investors worldwide. Ardian’s main shareholding group is its employees and we place great emphasis on developing its people and fostering a collaborative culture based on collective intelligence. Our 1,050+ employees, spread across 19 offices in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Middle East are strongly committed to the principles of Responsible Investment and are determined to make finance a force for good in society. Our goal is to deliver excellent investment performance combined with high ethical standards and social responsibility.
At Ardian we invest all of ourselves in building companies that last.

PRESS CONTACT

ARDIAN

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Aligned Data Centers and Blackstone Credit & Insurance Announce Financing

Blackstone

NEW YORK, NY and DALLAS, TX – Blackstone Credit & Insurance (“BXCI”) and Aligned Data Centers, a leading technology infrastructure company offering innovative, sustainable, and adaptive Scale Data Centers and Build-to-Scale solutions for global hyperscale and enterprise customers, today announced that Blackstone has provided an initial $600 million senior secured credit facility to support the development of Aligned’s newest and largest data center in West Jordan, Utah. The senior secured credit facility is committed entirely by insurance accounts managed by BXCI’s Infrastructure & Asset Based Credit Group.

“Blackstone’s support contributes to Aligned’s continued growth in meeting the capacity demands of customers across the globe,” said Anubhav Raj, Chief Financial Officer at Aligned. “The capital demands of this industry make strong financial backing crucial. Strategic financing partnerships focused on ingenuity and collaboration are a key advantage. We are excited to embark on this initial transaction and build on future opportunities with Blackstone.”

Robert Horn, Global Head of Infrastructure & Asset Based Credit at BXCI, said “We are thrilled to partner with Aligned and this partnership highlights our ability to support large scale digital infrastructure build-out with flexible and efficient financing solutions.”

Alan Carcich, Principal, Infrastructure & Asset Based Credit at BXCI, said “Aligned is one of the fastest growing data center platforms in the Americas and has a focus on sustainability – we look forward to working with the Aligned team.”

Aligned’s SLC-03 data center is a two-story, 80 MW build-to suit project on its hyperscale campus in West Jordan, Utah, which now houses three facilities. This is the company’s fourth hyperscale data center in the Salt Lake City metro area.

About Aligned Data Centers
Aligned Data Centers is a leading technology infrastructure company offering innovative, sustainable, and adaptive Scale Data Centers and Build-to-Scale solutions for global hyperscale and enterprise customers. Our intelligent infrastructure allows densification and vertical growth within the same footprint, enabling customers to scale up without disruption, all while maintaining industry-leading Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). By reducing the energy, water, and space needed to operate, our data center solutions, combined with our patented cooling technology, offer businesses a competitive advantage by improving sustainability, reliability, and their bottom line. For more information, visit www.aligneddc.com and connect with us on X, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to deliver compelling returns for institutional and individual investors by strengthening the companies in which we invest. Our more than $1 trillion in assets under management include global investment strategies focused on real estate, private equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, credit, real assets, secondaries and hedge funds. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

Press and Analyst Inquiries
Jennifer Handshew for Aligned Data Centers
jennifer@180-mktg.com
+1 (917) 359-8838

Kate Holderness for Blackstone
Kate.holderness@blackstone.com
+1 (917) 318 6818

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Vantage Data Centers Announces $6.4 Billion Equity Investment Led by DigitalBridge and Silver Lake

Silverlake

Aggregate new equity investment in recent months reaches $8 billion, accelerating and extending Vantage’s leadership as strategic partner to global hyperscalers to meet unprecedented cloud and AI demand

Supports development investment of over $30 billion to deliver more than three gigawatts of additional data center capacity

 

DENVER, BOCA RATON, Fla., and MENLO PARK, Calif. (Jan. 9, 2024– Vantage Data Centers, a leading global provider of hyperscale data center campuses, today announced a $6.4 billion equity investment led by investment vehicles managed by DigitalBridge Group, Inc. (NYSE: DBRG) (“DigitalBridge”), the leading global alternative asset manager dedicated to investing in digital infrastructure, and Silver Lake, the global leader in technology investing.

The investment, across North America and EMEA, is incremental to the recently announced €1.5 billion to be invested by AustralianSuper in Vantage EMEA and includes expected investment from DigitalBridge and Silver Lake co-investors. These investments accelerate and extend Vantage’s strategic capabilities across North America and EMEA to partner with global hyperscalers in meeting unprecedented cloud and AI demand.

The combined investments highlight the long-term commitment of two category-leading investors to the business. Silver Lake launched Vantage in 2010 as a single data center campus in Santa Clara, California, recruited the management team that continues to lead Vantage today, and grew the company to have the then-largest wholesale data center footprint in Silicon Valley focused on serving sophisticated technology companies. A DigitalBridge-managed vehicle acquired Vantage in 2017 and has been the key strategic partner for nearly seven years, further emphasizing the company’s strategy to support cloud and now AI adoption and scaling Vantage into a global market leader with 32 operational or developing hyperscale data center campuses across five continents.

The new investment from DigitalBridge and Silver Lake, which follows several years of record growth at Vantage, is a key enabler of the business’ strategic growth and investment plan to meet customer demand. Vantage owns or controls 25 sites in North America and EMEA totaling more than three gigawatts of expected capacity. As part of the company’s investment plan, Vantage’s strategic land bank is expected to drive an estimated $30 billion of additional development, extending Vantage’s track record of bringing market leading capacity and innovative solutions to customers around the world. In connection with the investment, Vantage will continue its development of next-generation data centers, including energy-efficient and sustainable designs purpose-built for AI and large-scale cloud deployments.

“We are delighted that Silver Lake is joining DigitalBridge to support Vantage’s continued expansion across North America and EMEA,” said Sureel Choksi, president and CEO of Vantage. “Cloud computing, AI and related technologies are driving unprecedented demand for digital infrastructure. The market opportunity in front of us is extraordinary, and we are excited to chart our next phase of growth with two premier investors who have been great partners to us and have an unmatched understanding of our global technology customers and their infrastructure needs.”

“We are excited about supporting the next chapter of Vantage’s growth in partnership with Silver Lake,” said Jon Mauck, senior managing director at DigitalBridge, who leads the company’s data center investment strategy. “We believe the combination of DigitalBridge’s unparalleled insight into the digital infrastructure landscape and Silver Lake’s technology focus creates a unique partnership to further enable Vantage’s strategic expansion and long-term growth plan. Vantage is a critical partner to the leading cloud and technology platforms globally and is well positioned to continue to support accelerating adoption of cloud- and AI-based technologies.”

“We are proud of what we pioneered when we launched Vantage, and we are thrilled to invest and partner again with this exceptional management team alongside DigitalBridge to drive the next generation of energy-efficient, hyperscale data center leadership,” said Greg Mondre, co-CEO and managing partner, and Lee Wittlinger, managing director, of Silver Lake. “Silver Lake is committed to bringing to bear the depth and breadth of our specialized expertise across the technology landscape to strengthen Vantage’s partnerships with the world’s biggest and most sophisticated technology companies and continue to meet their most challenging data center needs.”

The transactions are expected to close in the first quarter of 2024, subject to customary closing conditions.

 

About Vantage Data Centers
Vantage Data Centers powers, cools, protects and connects the technology of the world’s well-known hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. Developing and operating across five continents in North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage has evolved data center design in innovative ways to deliver dramatic gains in reliability, efficiency and sustainability in flexible environments that can scale as quickly as the market demands.

For more information, visit https://www.vantage-dc.com.

About DigitalBridge Group, Inc.
DigitalBridge Group, Inc. (NYSE: DBRG) is a leading global alternative asset manager dedicated to investing in digital infrastructure. With a heritage of over 25 years investing in and operating businesses across the digital ecosystem, including cell towers, data centers, fiber, small cells and edge infrastructure, the DigitalBridge team manages $75 billion of infrastructure assets on behalf of its limited partners and shareholders. Headquartered in Boca Raton, DigitalBridge has key offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Luxembourg and Singapore.

For more information, visit https://www.digitalbridge.com.

About Silver Lake
Silver Lake is a global technology investment firm with approximately $101 billion in combined assets under management and committed capital and a team of professionals based in North America, Europe and Asia. Silver Lake’s portfolio companies collectively generate nearly $266 billion of revenue annually and employ approximately 540,000 people globally.

For more information, visit https://www.silverlake.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” or “potential” or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases which are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to historical matters. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, and may cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Factors that might cause such a difference include changes to the level of demand for hyperscale data center campuses, the impact of AI and related technologies on the demand for digital infrastructure, plans for capital deployment by Vantage, whether the equity recapitalization transactions described in this release will be completed in the timeframe anticipated or at all, and other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed in DigitalBridge’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2023, June 30, 2023 and September 30, 2023, and its other reports filed from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements reflect DigitalBridge’s good faith beliefs, assumptions and expectations, but they are not guarantees of future performance. DigitalBridge cautions investors not to unduly rely on any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. DigitalBridge is under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this press release, nor to conform prior statements to actual results or revised expectations, and DigitalBridge does not intend to do so.

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