Mubadala sign deal to invest $500m in North American Data Centre Business, Cologix

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi-based global investment firm, Mubadala Investment Company, on Monday announced that it has signed an agreement to invest up to $500 million in Cologix, the network-neutral interconnection and hyperscale edge data centre company, subject to various regulatory approvals.

The transaction will provide significant investment for Cologix for growth in both the United States of America’s and Canada’s data centre markets, a Mubadala press release said.

Over the years, Cologix has built a leading position for hyperscale and co-location data centre services in its markets. The investment will enable new world-class infrastructure expansion to manage the growing needs of data centre customers.

Mubadala’s investment is in partnership with Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, which will remain the majority shareholder in Cologix. The partnership will see the two investment companies collaborate to support Cologix’s ambitious growth strategy.

Innovative businesses

Commenting on the agreement, Khaled Al Qubaisi, CEO of Mubadala Aerospace, Renewables and ICT, commented, “As a global investor, we continue to look closely at opportunities in sectors such as Information and Communication Technology, ICT, which are rapidly transforming the world. Our philosophy remains founded on investing in innovative businesses with long-term growth potential and market leadership positions. As Abu Dhabi evolves into a global technology and ICT hub, we will continue to invest in partnerships which will unlock immense benefits for all our stakeholders.”

In turn, Mounir Barakat, Executive Director of Mubadala ICT, stated that this investment marks an important milestone for Mubadala’s ICT business. Cologix is a high-quality company with robust fundamentals in an industry that is growing rapidly and positively impacting the lives of millions of people every day.”

“In Cologix, we are investing in a company that has a clear strategy to build upon its existing market-leading position, and one that is led by an excellent management team with which to implement that strategy,” he added.

Industry leader

Cologix is a recognised industry leader with a strong portfolio of clients that underpin its ability to scale growth exponentially. In addition, with the continued deployment of cloud services, the data centre industry is experiencing continued growth that Cologix is well placed to capitalise on.

“Cologix has built a leadership position in the hyperscale, co-location and interconnection sector of this fast-growing industry across North America,” stated Bill Fathers, Cologix Chairman and CEO. “We have ambitious plans for the future and by partnering with Mubadala we have additional growth capital that will enable us to get to the next level, build on an existing foundation of great clients, innovative technology and strong leadership.”

Cologix provides reliable, secure, scalable hyperscale edge data centre solutions from 28 prime interconnection hubs and five hyperscale facilities across 10 strategic North American markets. The facilities enable the efficient interconnection and operation of over 450 networks, six internet exchanges and more than 200 cloud providers.

Mubadala’s ICT portfolio includes investments in Hyperoptic, the UK’s largest gigabit broadband provider, Khazna Data Centres, Injazat Data Systems, Du — the UAE’s second-largest telecoms operator, and Yahsat, a satellite communications company.