DigitalBridge forms edge data center play in Southeast Asia with AIMS Group stake
DigitalBridge Group, a global digital infrastructure firm, has announced it will acquire an ownership stake in AIMS Group and create an edge data center platform in Southeast Asia. The move is part of DigitalBridge’s effort to expand its regional presence.
AIMS is a Malaysia-based data center business that provides highly interconnected ecosystems to customers, ranging from telecommunications carriers and major enterprises to hyperscale companies. It has several facilities in Malaysia, including its flagship Menara AIMS facility, which anchors the Malaysia Internet Exchange (MYIX) in Kuala Lumpur. It also has a purpose-built campus in Cyberjaya and a new facility in Bangkok.
The acquisition was funded by DigitalBridge Investment Management, with an expected closing in 2023, depending on customary conditions.
According to Justin Chang, managing director and head of Asia for DigitalBridge, “DigitalBridge’s expertise in investing, building, and operating data centers to the highest standards aligns perfectly with AIMS’ next stage of development. AIMS is a leading operator in the region poised for significant growth, with a strong management team, a robust development pipeline and considerable expansion capacity. This is a terrific platform for DigitalBridge, and we are excited to partner with TDC, which has a long heritage of building connectivity-linked businesses across Southeast Asia.”
DigitalBridge Group, Inc. was founded over 25 years ago and currently manages a portfolio of digital infrastructure assets worth $50 billion on behalf of its investors. In addition to its headquarters in Boca Raton, the firm has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Luxembourg, London and Singapore.
Earlier this year, Digital Bridge was in the news for providing follow-on funding to Liqid and investing $20.8 million in Leading Edge Data Centers (LEDC).
Analysis
AIMS is known for its flagship Menara AIMS facility located in Kuala Lumpur, which hosts the Malaysia Internet Exchange (MYIX) as well as a purpose-built data center campus in Cyberjaya along with a new data center in downtown Bangkok, Thailand. AIMS has a connectivity-centric ecosystem of customers that range from domestic and international telecom carriers and enterprises to hyperscalers and content distribution networks.
The AIMS data center platform was a hotly contested acquisition target given its position as an established data center provider in the growing Malaysia market and its Menara facility serving effectively as a carrier hotel. In emerging geographies like Malaysia, there are typically not many acquisition targets for platforms looking to enter the market.
Jabez Tan, Head of Research, Structure Research
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Article Topics
AIMS Group | DigitalBridge | edge data center | interconnection | IX | Structure Research
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