Aware Super, DigitalBridge Commit $300M to APAC Data Centers in Joint Venture Expansion

Aware Super has committed US$300 million (approximately A$460 million) to the Skyline JV data center business, which indirectly owns Vantage Data Centers APAC, the A$210 billion Australian pension fund announced Jan. 20. The investment was made alongside Digitalbridge and marks the second major collaboration between the two firms following their 2023 co-investment in Switch Data Centres in the United States.

The transaction brings Aware Super's total investments in digital infrastructure to beyond A$6 billion, representing more than a quarter of the fund's total infrastructure portfolio. The investment reflects the fund's conviction in fiber networks, data centers and connectivity platforms.

Digital Infrastructure Portfolio Expansion

Vantage Data Centers APAC operates more than 10 facilities across Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The platform serves hyperscale data center clients in markets covering 60 percent of the world's population.

"Digital infrastructure is a critical plank of Aware Super's infrastructure investment strategy," said Mark Hector, Aware Super's head of infrastructure. "For a number of years, we have captured the mega-trends of digital infrastructure across geographies, recognizing early the transformative potential of fiber networks, data centers and connectivity platforms."

Hector said the investment provides exposure to the digitalization-driven high-growth APAC data center market, with the region projected to be the strongest growing cloud region. The APAC region is forecast to require up to 20 gigawatts of data center capacity by 2030, driven by hyperscaler cloud deployments and generative AI training workloads.

DigitalBridge Partnership Deepens

"The region remains underrepresented on data center deployments per capita, further highlighting the attractiveness of this opportunity," Hector said. He added that the deal would enhance the fund's hybrid investment model by partnering with DigitalBridge, a sector specialist partner, and acknowledged Vantage's experienced management team.

Kevin Smithen, DigitalBridge chief strategy officer, said the firm was pleased to deepen its partnership with Aware Super in one of the fastest-growing data center markets globally. "Vantage APAC is a high-quality platform operating in markets with strong structural demand, and this investment aligns with our strategy of supporting leading operators as cloud and AI workloads accelerate across the region," Smithen said.

APAC Data Center Market Growth

Jeremy Deutsch, Vantage Data Centers president for APAC, said the company's APAC business is growing at an unprecedented pace. "We appreciate the confidence our investors have in our platform and in our ability to execute at scale to deliver digital infrastructure to the world's most innovative technology companies," Deutsch said. "With partners like DigitalBridge and Aware Super, we are well positioned to expand our APAC portfolio to meet AI and cloud demand in markets that matter most to our customers."

Sources

DigitalBridge