STACK Infrastructure Goes Global, Integrates IPI Data Centers in Europe
STACK Infrastructure is expanding into Europe, adding data centers previously operated by DigiPlex and SUPERNAP Italia to create a global platform spanning 16 markets and three continents.
The expansion is backed by STACK sponsor IPI Data Center Partners, which acquired both SUPERNAP Italia and DigiPlex in 2021. The integration unifies the properties under the fast-growing STACK Infrastructure brand, providing global scale with operations and development capabilities across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific regions.
The integration adds data centers in Milan, Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm, with land for additional development in each market. STACK now has more than 400 megawatts of data center capacity under development and 1,000 MWs of potential expansion, the company said.
“This integration will allow us to scale the already successful European-based businesses into a global infrastructure player with extensive resources, capacity and development expertise,” said Phil Koen, Chairman of the Board of STACK. “We are confident that unifying our assets and teams around the world under one brand will provide us with a clear competitive advantage in the market, enhancing our position with hyperscale and enterprise customers.”
From Launch to Global Platform in 3 Years
Just three years after its launch, STACK Infrastructure now has a massive global footprint supporting some of the largest hyperscale customers. It’s the latest example of how an influx of funding from large investors has accelerated the delivery of digital infrastructure to support the growth of cloud computing, reducing the considerable barriers to entry in a capital-intensive industry.
STACK Infrastructure was formed by investor IPI Data Center Partners with assets acquired from Infomart Data Centers and T5 Data Centers. IPI is co-sponsored by ICONIQ Capital and an affiliate of Iron Point Partners. ICONIQ manages $83 billion in assets, including real estate and technology, and works closely with family offices. Iron Point is a thematic investor with lengthy experience in the digital infrastructure sector,
“STACK is focused on growing and strengthening its brand to its full potential and we couldn’t be more excited for the future,” said Matt A’Hearn, Partner at IPI. “As DigiPlex and SUPERNAP Italia are brought under the STACK umbrella, doing so will preserve the excellent regional reputations that each organization is known for, while leveraging the strength of a unified STACK EMEA to further empower STACK’s global capabilities to better serve its customers and further expand its hyper-scale focused data center portfolio.”
STACK’s strategy features a combination of “rack-ready” wholesale space for immediate delivery (Ready STACK), rapid development of powered shell data halls for larger requirements (Power STACK), and build-to-suit projects for entire campuses (Hyper STACK).
Growth Ahead in Asia-Pacific, European Markets
STACK has lined up low-cost capital to fund the growth of its data center footprint, including four transactions using securitized notes that have raised $1.8 billion for expansion.
In October 2021, STACK Infrastructure entered the Asia-Pacific market with a regional headquarters in Singapore and plans to build its first two data centers in Tokyo and Osaka, with projects to follow in Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, and other Asia Pacific markets. STACK says it will pursue both acquisitions and organic development in partnership with landowners and real estate platforms.
Meanwhile, IPI spent 2021 acquiring assets in Europe, acquiring SUPERNAP Italia in February and DigiPlex in July.
With today’s integration, STACK adds eight DigiPlex data centers across campuses in the key Nordic markets of Oslo, Norway; Stockholm, Sweden; and Copenhagen, Denmark with a combined capacity of 60 megawatts of IT plus more than 400,000 square meters (4 million square feet) of land available for customer expansion. It also adds the SUPERNAP Italia assets, including its growing 50-megawatt campus near Milan, Italy.
