AustralianSuper has committed A$2.2bn (€1.35bn) as part of a US$2bn equity raise by US data centre platform DataBank.
The superannuation fund is joining other existing DataBank investors, including DigitalBridge, in the capital raise to support DataBank’s expansion across its network of over 65 data centres in more than 27 markets, including three new campuses in Dallas, Culpeper and Atlanta.
Jason Peasley, the head of mid-risk portfolios at AustralianSuper, said: “AustralianSuper’s investment in DataBank comes at an exciting time with strong tailwinds across the sector, coupled with DataBank’s ambitious expansion program and diverse business base.”
He added that DataBank will grow and “further diversify our global digital infrastructure exposure, a sector we believe will help deliver sustainable, long-term performance for more than 3.4m members”.
The investment in DataBank will be AustralianSuper’s first in the US data centre market and the second AustralianSuper’s global real assets portfolio now totals nearly A$60bn.
In 2023, AustralianSuper signed a $2.5bn deal with DigitalBridge to acquire a significant minority stake in Vantage Data Centres Europe, Middle East and Africa.
DigitalBridge senior managing director, Jon Mauck, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome AustralianSuper as a key investor in DataBank,” adding that this investment highlighted the resilience and long-term value of digital infrastructure as an asset class.”
DataBank CEO, Raul Martynek said: “This investment, and our new campuses, are a game-changer for DataBank and our customers, allowing us to bring this capacity to market now and seize the incredible opportunity ahead of us.”
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