EQT in Talks to Buy Edge Data Center Specialist EdgeConneX for $2.5B

Gillian Tan (Bloomberg) -- EQT AB, the Nordic buyout firm, is talks to buy data center company EdgeConneX, according to people familiar with the matter.

EQT is discussing buying the Herndon, Virginia-based company from investors including Providence Equity Partners in a deal worth at least $2.5 billion, said one of the people, who asked to not be identified because the matter isn’t public.

No decision has been finalized and talks could fall through, the people said.

Representatives for EQT and Providence Equity declined to comment. A representative for EdgeConneX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The talks come amid a steady stream of dealmaking for data centers, which are benefiting as companies around the world increasingly rely on third parties to manage their data. Equinix Inc. agreed this month to buy Mexican telecom firm Axtel SAB’s data centers.

CyrusOne Inc., another data center company exploring a sale, has drawn interest from a bidder group including KKR & Co., Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners and I Squared Capital, Bloomberg News reported in August.

Founded in 2009, EdgeConneX has built more than 40 data centers in North America, Europe and South America, according to its website. Providence Equity acquired a stake in the company in 2016, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Related:Eyeing 5G, EdgeConneX Says It's Built Hundreds of Small Edge Computing Sites

EQT, founded in 1994, has 40 billion euros ($44 billion) in assets under management, according to its website. It went public last month.