DataBank and EdgeCore Seek Buyers as Data Centre Valuations Surge Past $25B
Bisnow · 14 July 2026
TL;DR
Several major US data centre operators are reportedly courting buyers this summer, with DataBank and EdgeCore leading the pack. DataBank — owned by DigitalBridge and backed by significant debt financing — is seeking close to $25B for a majority stake, making it one of the largest potential deals in the sector. EdgeCore, backed by Switzerland's Partners Group, has already asked prospective buyers to submit offers. Netrality Data Centers and Edged are also exploring ownership stake sales. The moves come as data centre mergers and acquisitions more than doubled to exceed $60B globally in 2025, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. Private equity firms, including KKR's newly launched Helix Digital Infrastructure platform, are seen as the most likely buyers in these platform-level transactions.
Our take
While this story is firmly rooted in the US market, South African property professionals and investors should pay close attention — here's why it matters locally. Global capital is consolidating around digital infrastructure at an extraordinary pace, and that appetite is beginning to flow into emerging markets, including South Africa. Locally, data centre development is one of the few commercial property asset classes attracting sustained institutional interest, with operators like Teraco, Africa Data Centres, and Vantage Data Centres expanding capacity in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The valuations being placed on US operators — DataBank approaching $25B — signal just how highly the market prices predictable, long-lease digital infrastructure. For SA commercial landlords and developers, this reinforces the case for repositioning underutilised industrial or commercial assets near fibre corridors as potential data centre sites. For institutional investors and listed property funds (REITs), it underscores why data centre exposure is increasingly seen as a defensive, high-growth allocation. The private equity dominance in these deals also suggests that unlisted vehicles may be the primary route for SA investors seeking access to this theme.