Deal Overview:
Global infrastructure investment firm Antin Infrastructure Partners has agreed to acquire NorthC Datacenters, a leading enterprise colocation data center platform in Northwest Europe, from DWS Group and other minority shareholders. The transaction will be executed through Antin's EUR 10.2 billion Flagship Fund V and is expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals.

Target Profile: NorthC Datacenters

• Headquarters: Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Footprint: Operates 25 colocation data centers across the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland.
• Capacity: Secured gross grid capacity exceeding 140 MW across existing and greenfield sites to support future growth.
• Customer Base: Serves over 1,600 blue-chip clients across cloud/IT services, carriers, public sector, finance, industry, and healthcare.
• Growth Strategy: The company has expanded through organic growth, greenfield developments, and acquisitions, most recently adding six data centers in Germany and the Netherlands.

Strategic Rationale:
Antin is leveraging its deep expertise in digital infrastructure, having previously invested in UK colocation platform Pulsant and various connectivity assets. The acquisition aligns with strong, long-term demand drivers, including:

• IT outsourcing and cloud adoption.
• Increasing data sovereignty requirements.
• Rapid growth in AI workloads.

Leadership & Endorsements:

• Antin's Stéphane Ifker & Maximilian Lindner: Cited NorthC as the "leading operator" in the European colocation space, well-positioned to accelerate expansion in a strategic market segment.
• DWS's Harold D'Hauteville: Praised NorthC's management and growth trajectory, highlighting the enterprise colocation sector as "essential infrastructure" for digital transformation and AI.
• NorthC CEO Alexandra Schless: Expressed confidence in Antin's sector experience as a key asset for seizing future growth opportunities. Schless and the management team will reinvest alongside Antin.

Advisors:

• NorthC/Seller (DWS): Evercore and Torch Partners (financial); Latham & Watkins (legal).
• Antin/Buyer: Guggenheim Securities (financial); Clifford Chance and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett (legal).

This acquisition marks the sixth investment for Antin's Flagship Fund V and strengthens its portfolio in the high-growth digital infrastructure sector.