JLL Acquires VIPA Digital Limited to Expand Data Centre Advisory Capabilities

LONDON, Oct. 29, 2026 — JLL has completed the purchase of VIPA Digital Limited, a London-headquartered independent data centre consultancy, the firm announced. The acquisition is intended to allow JLL to offer solutions across the full data centre lifecycle and adds technical depth to its existing services.

JLL Folds VIPA Digital Into Work Dynamics

VIPA was founded in 2018 by Vijay Mistry and Paul Cranfield, and serves investors, developers and operators globally. According to the release, the firm has delivered 168 data centre projects across 31 countries. VIPA's team of specialist consultants will join JLL Work Dynamics. Mistry and Cranfield will lead the team and report to Sue Asprey Price, CEO of EMEA Work Dynamics and Global Head of Portfolio Services at JLL. The rest of the VIPA team will keep its current reporting lines while integration planning proceeds, and the entire VIPA team will become JLL employees.

JLL said it will retain the VIPA brand for now and will evaluate over the coming months how and when to further integrate the team into its delivery model, go-to-market strategies and brand structure. VIPA will operate with a semi-autonomous model intended to preserve its independent positioning and technical culture. VIPA's clients include hyperscalers, colocation providers, neoclouds and institutional investors.

Executives Cite Upstream Advisory Demand

"As we help clients navigate the unprecedented growth in data centre infrastructure, we welcome the VIPA team and are excited to significantly enhance our advisory capabilities for this rapidly evolving sector," said Neil Murray, CEO of Work Dynamics at JLL. "We're responding to increased opportunity to deliver the specialised upstream consulting expertise our clients are actively seeking. Bringing VIPA into JLL gives us a platform to take that expertise to clients around the world, working alongside our colleagues in every region."

Asprey Price described the deal as a demonstration of JLL's commitment to the data centre sector as a core pillar of its Accelerate 2030 strategy. "This acquisition is a clear demonstration of JLL's commitment to the data centre sector as a core pillar of our Accelerate 2030 strategy and positions us to expertly support our clients' data centre solutions now and into the future," she said.

Mistry, partner and co-founder at VIPA, said the firm has built its reputation by delivering institutional-grade advice through an approach that bridges commercial, technical and market perspectives. Cranfield, also a partner and co-founder, said JLL's Capital Markets, Project & Development Services and Facilities Management capabilities create natural synergies with VIPA's upstream advisory work while preserving the independence and technical excellence clients value.

JLL said VIPA's team has experience at firms including Digital Realty, Morgan Stanley, UBS, Arup and Dell, and uses a "three-lens" approach spanning commercial, technical and market perspectives.

Market Backdrop: Capacity Growth and Power Constraints

The deal comes as data centre development expands under pressure from artificial intelligence and cloud demand. JLL's research projects global capacity demand will grow 3.5 times from 2025 to 2030, with 2,267 new data centres expected in operation over the next five years. The firm also projects data centre infrastructure spending will reach $6.7 trillion through 2030, with demand for consulting services growing at a 13% compound annual rate.

JLL separately forecasts that global data centre capacity will nearly double from 103 gigawatts to 200 gigawatts by 2030, with almost 100 gigawatts of new capacity expected between 2026 and 2030. The expansion could require as much as $3 trillion in total investment, including roughly $1.2 trillion in data centre real estate asset creation and about $870 billion in new debt financing. AI workloads could account for roughly 50% of global capacity by 2030, up from about 25% in 2025.

Power and grid access remain bottlenecks, with grid-connection delays of approximately four years in some markets. Demand continues to outpace supply as projects face power constraints, community opposition and more complex development requirements. Power procurement, infrastructure planning and site strategy are increasingly central to investment decisions.

Second Data Centre Acquisition Since 2024

The VIPA purchase follows JLL's 2024 acquisition of SKAE Power Solutions, a New York-based provider of data centre technical and project management services. SKAE became JLL's Technical Services division within its data centre vertical.

JLL said VIPA's advisory mandates are expected to create pull-through opportunities across its Capital Markets, Project & Development Services and Facilities Management platforms, enabling coordinated services from strategy and consulting through project delivery and facilities management.

JLL Financial Context

JLL reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of $7.3 billion, up 12% year over year, with net income rising to $319.8 million from $222.8 million. Leasing Advisory revenue rose 27% in local currency to approximately $941 million, led by U.S. industrial, office and data centre activity, while Capital Markets revenue increased 21% to approximately $736 million. Adjusted EBITDA rose 33% to $460.2 million, and adjusted diluted earnings per share increased 52% in local currency to $6.76. Data centres accounted for roughly 5% of JLL's total leasing revenue in the quarter, which management characterized as potentially uneven from quarter to quarter.

JLL (NYSE: JLL) reports annual revenue of $26.1 billion, operations in more than 80 countries and a global workforce of approximately 112,000 as of Sept. 30, 2026.

Outlook

JLL said the acquisition positions it as a specialist data centre advisor in a high-growth segment of commercial real estate. How quickly VIPA is integrated into JLL's delivery model and brand structure will be evaluated in the coming months.

Sources

JLL newsroom: https://www.jll.com/en-uk/newsroom/jll-enhances-data-centre-capabilities-with-independent-consultancy-acquisition