The first centre will bring together academic researchers and practitioners from the private sector to develop and share best practices in responsible AI
business1 day ago
Blackstone will buy Australian data centre group AirTrunk for an implied enterprise value of over A$24 billion ($16.10 billion), it said on Wednesday, in what would be Blackstone’s largest investment in the Asia Pacific region.
The alternative asset manager, along with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), is acquiring AirTrunk from Macquarie Asset Management (MAM) and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP).
The transaction needs approval from the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB), given the asset is being bought by overseas parties.
At $16.1 billion, the deal is the largest buyout in Australia this year and one of the biggest in recent history.
Global private equity investors and asset managers are readying for billions of dollars worth of M&A and investments linked to data centres in Asia Pacific, as the artificial intelligence (AI) boom fuels demand for digital infrastructure.
The value of AirTrunk increased during the sales process, which officially began in March, due to the increasing usage of AI which requires greater data centre capacity.
CPP Investments said in a statement on Wednesday it would hold 12 per cent of AirTrunk once the deal was finalised.
“CPP Investments has invested in the Asia Pacific data centre sector for several years, and we have witnessed significant growth in this space, fueled by a strong demand for digital infrastructure and, more recently, the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence,” said Max Biagosch, CPP Investments’ global head of real assets.
AirTrunk, which was founded in Sydney in 2015, is considered the largest data centre group in Asia Pacific, with 11 sites in Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore.
It was owned 88 per cent by MAM and Canada’s PSP which have now sold their entire stake, according to a statement from the two companies.
AirTrunk founder and chief executive Robin Khuda will retain a stake, the statement said, without specifying the size of his remaining shareholding. Khuda will remain chief executive, according to the statement.
“AirTrunk is another vital step as Blackstone seeks to be the leading digital infrastructure investor in the world across the ecosystem, including data centers, power and related services,” Blackstone president Jon Gray said in a statement.
Blackstone and CPP Investments beat out a consortium led by IFM Investors which also bid for AirTrunk, Reuters reported on Aug. 28.
Reuters reported on Monday the Blackstone led group was nearing a deal to win control of AirTrunk.
The first centre will bring together academic researchers and practitioners from the private sector to develop and share best practices in responsible AI
business1 day ago
The UAE has already signed CEPA with major trading partners such as India, Israel, Chile, Colombia, Turkey, Indonesia, Georgia and Cambodia
business1 day ago
New developments hold key to the future of work, expert says
business1 day ago
A year-on-year (YoY) increase of 20.2 per cent, or Dh135 billion, was recorded
business1 day ago
Course offers training in English language, interviewing skills, resume writing, and job search tips
business2 days ago
One of the key areas of focus under the MoU is marketing and promotion
business2 days ago
Sector increasingly intertwined with high-value investments
business2 days ago
Policyholders can get coverage limits of Dh25,000 or Dh50,000 for a 12-month term
business2 days ago