Data Center Investment News — 23/08/2024
Abu Dhabi Sovereign Wealth Fund Invests in Yondr Group
Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund has made a significant investment in Yondr Group, a global data center operator. This investment will support Yondr’s expansion plans and further solidify the company’s position in the rapidly growing data center industry.
In addition to the IFC loan, parallel loans of up to $450 million will be provided by other lenders, and the remainder of the cost (US$274 million) will be financed by equity.
“We are pleased to welcome Mubadala as a key financial partner,” said Chester Reid, Yondr Group’s CFO. “With their additional support, we are well-positioned to accelerate our growth and continue delivering sustainable data centre solutions to our clients worldwide, meeting the increasing demand for capacity,”
Yondr Group is focused on developing hyperscale data centers, and this new funding will help accelerate its projects across key markets worldwide.
African Infrastructure Investment Managers Closes Latest Fund, Raises Just Shy of $1 Billion
African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM) has successfully closed its latest infrastructure fund, raising nearly $1 billion. This fund will be used to invest in critical infrastructure projects across Africa, including data centers, energy, and transportation.
Olusola Lawson, AIIM’s managing director and co-CEO said the fund would invest in “digital infrastructure to capitalise on the surge in data consumption across the continent” as well as the energy transition, “to address the chronic shortage of affordable power and the associated productivity losses for Africa’s corporates.”
The total of US$945 million exceeded AIIM’s target by 50%, as it was able to secure fresh investment from existing allocators as well as new institutional investors from an international audience.
AIIM’s focus is on enhancing the continent’s infrastructure to support economic growth and digital transformation.
AtlasEdge Poaches CyrusOne VP for CFO Role
AtlasEdge, a European edge data center provider, has appointed a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), poaching the Vice President from CyrusOne. This strategic hire is expected to strengthen AtlasEdge’s financial operations and support its ambitious growth plans across Europe.
Durvasula said: “One of my first initiatives here at AtlasEdge has been to further bolster the already outstanding team as we prepare for our next phase of growth. I am delighted to welcome Jonathan, whose deep expertise in results-based financial strategy within the digital infrastructure industry will be instrumental in driving our continued success.”
The move underscores the increasing competition in the data center industry, particularly in the edge computing sector.
Novva Data Centers Launches $3 Billion Arizona Project
Novva Data Centers has announced the launch of a $3 billion data center project in Arizona. This large-scale development is part of Novva’s strategy to expand its presence in the U.S. market, providing state-of-the-art data center services to meet the growing demand from cloud providers and enterprises.
Novva predicts the project will take 10 million human hours to construct, and the first phase, with 96 Megawatts of Critical IT Load, will launch in late 2026. Once complete, the facility will feature five data halls, an office building and warehouse with a footprint of 1.3 million square feet and employ an estimated 200 people.
Buildings feature site-sensitive architectural details like rammed earth materials, as well as a tribute to the Hohokam people that inhabited the area and built early aqueducts, an invention that many of the Salt River canals still follow today.
The project will include multiple data center buildings, offering significant capacity and advanced infrastructure.
Expansion Starts at AirTrunk’s MEL1 Campus
AirTrunk has commenced the expansion of its MEL1 data center campus in Melbourne, Australia. This expansion is part of AirTrunk’s ongoing efforts to increase its capacity to meet the rising demand for data center services in the Asia-Pacific region.
The expansion will include the remaining three phases of the six phases of construction at the MEL1 campus. This will expand the footprint to 34 data halls and bring the total technical data hall area to 32,000 square meters which will deliver over 100MW of new IT load. The current project will represent over AU$1 billion (US$665m) of investment over its 18 month delivery period.
The MEL1 campus is one of the largest in Australia, and the expansion will further enhance its capabilities, supporting the region’s digital economy.
Omantel Launches New Data Center in Salalah
Omantel, Oman’s leading telecommunications company, has launched a new data center in Salalah. This facility is expected to bolster the region’s digital infrastructure, providing enhanced connectivity and data services.
Oman’s data center market is poised for growth given its strategic location as well as government initiatives like Oman Vision 2040 which is the national reference for the economic and social planning of the Sultanate of Oman during the period 2040-2021.
The data center is part of Omantel’s strategy to expand its network and support the growing demand for cloud services and digital solutions in Oman and the wider region.
Hudson IX Launches New York City Data Center
Hudson Interxchange (Hudson IX) has launched a new data center in New York City, offering enhanced connectivity and colocation services in one of the world’s most important financial hubs.
Hudson IX CEO, Atul Roy, said: “We are excited to bring this additional capacity to market, expanding our current data centre white space with a further 2MW to support current and future customer needs.
“This expansion marks a significant milestone for Hudson Interxchange, and provides us with the ability to support high-density racks to meet the AI and machine learning needs of emerging applications and providers in the digital infrastructure sector.”
The facility is designed to meet the high demands of enterprises and financial institutions, providing low-latency connections and robust infrastructure to support critical business operations.
DRC Inaugurates $30M Raxio Data Centre
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has inaugurated a $30 million Raxio data center, marking a significant step forward in the country’s digital infrastructure development.
“The inauguration of our Kinshasa data centre marks a significant achievement for Raxio and a pivotal moment for the DRC’s digital landscape,” said Robert Mullins, CEO of Raxio Group. “DRC is one of Africa’s largest and fastest-growing markets with an existing latent demand for digital products and services that is forecast to soar in the coming years. Located in Limete on the southeast of Kinshasha, the two-storey Raxio data centre spans 1,542 square metres and can house up to 400 racks, reliably delivering 1.5MW of IT power to customer equipment.
The facility will provide critical data services, supporting the growth of digital economies in the region. The data center is part of a broader initiative to improve connectivity and data infrastructure across Africa.
Edged Energy Opens First North American Data Centre in Atlanta
Edged Energy has opened its first North American data center in Atlanta, Georgia. The facility is designed with a strong focus on sustainability and energy efficiency, reflecting Edged Energy’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact.
“The project sets a new standard for sustainable development and represents a £1.34 billion economic investment in the region, bringing hundreds of jobs and millions in funding for Atlanta public schools, the local government, and essential city services. Together, we are creating projects for positive impact and supporting the region’s thriving digital economy,” said Bryant Farland, CEO of Edged.
The Atlanta data center will cater to the growing demand for digital services in the region, offering advanced infrastructure and connectivity solutions.
Stream Tops Out Second Phoenix Data Center in Arizona
Stream Data Centers has topped out its second data center in Phoenix, Arizona. The facility will provide critical data infrastructure to support the increasing demand for cloud services and digital solutions in the region.
PHX II is the second of seven planned facilities on the company’s 157-acre campus in Goodyear. It is expected to be operational by 2025. Other specifications of the facility have not been shared. At full build-out, the campus will support up to 280MW of critical load across more than two million square feet (185,000 sqm) of data center space.
This expansion is part of Stream’s broader strategy to grow its presence in key U.S. markets, offering scalable and reliable data center services.
Scala Data Centers Issues Green Debentures Worth $250M
Scala Data Centers has issued green debentures valued at $250 million to fund its sustainable data center projects. This financial move underscores Scala’s commitment to environmental sustainability and its leadership in the Latin American data center market.
The data center, dubbed SGRUTB09, is already in an advanced stage of construction and is said to be part of a campus that is the “largest of its kind” in Latin America. In total, the facility has seen $350 million in investment, with the remaining capital coming from Scala and its investors.
SGRUTB09 is currently expected to launch in the second half of 2025, and will be fully occupied by a single hyperscale customer in the cloud and content sector.
The funds will be used to develop and expand green data center infrastructure, supporting the region’s growing demand for digital services.
Claro Argentina to Build $30M Data Center in Buenos Aires
Claro Argentina has announced plans to build a $30 million data center in Buenos Aires. This new facility will enhance Claro’s digital infrastructure in Argentina, providing improved services and connectivity for its customers.
Julio Porras Zadik, CEO at Claro Argentina, said: “This milestone demonstrates Claro’s commitment to continue providing quality services to our users with the highest standards in terms of sustainability.”
Claro is a subsidiary of Mexican telecom América Móvil. The company has units in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay.
The data center is part of Claro’s broader strategy to invest in digital transformation and expand its technological capabilities in Latin America.