Aligned (the “Company”), a leading data center provider, today announced it has received a strategic investment from Macquarie Infrastructure Partners (“MIP”), which will support the Company’s growth with significant additional capital. Aligned will be jointly controlled by existing owners BlueMountain Capital Management (“BlueMountain”) funds and MIP following the transaction. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“We are delighted to welcome MIP as an investor. The investment provides Aligned with enhanced financial resources to meet substantial levels of current market demand,” said Aligned CEO Andrew Schaap. “The investment comes on the back of our recently announced 50 MW facility to be commissioned in Salt Lake City, as well as significant client activity in Phoenix, where we recently commenced construction of Phase II of our facility there. With MIP’s support we are well positioned to meaningfully expand in our existing markets and are also evaluating entry into new markets. Aligned’s value proposition uniquely positions us to benefit from the massive growth we will continue to see in this industry, driven by cloud, the Internet of Things and Big Data. The Aligned team has operated over 750 MW and developed over $3.5 billion of data centers around the globe for some of the most discerning clients. With this team of seasoned professionals, we are excited about our future partnership with MIP.”
Aligned is an infrastructure technology company that offers colocation and build-to-scale solutions to cloud, enterprise, and managed service providers. The Company has operational facilities in Dallas and Phoenix, with a third facility in Salt Lake City to be commissioned in Q3 2018. The Company’s facilities can deliver up to 230 MW of critical capacity.
Macquarie Infrastructure Partners CEO Karl Kuchel said: “As an experienced investor in communications infrastructure, we are excited to invest in Aligned to help the company substantially accelerate its growth plans. The Aligned management team has extensive experience developing and operating data centers and has built two high-quality data centers that have strong leasing momentum with flagship customers. We look forward to the partnership with the Company and BlueMountain, and to continuing the growth and development of the platform in existing and new markets.”
Jim Pieri, Portfolio Manager at BlueMountain, said: “MIP’s investment further validates the differentiated capabilities and the customer value proposition of the Aligned platform. We are excited to join forces with a like-minded partner to further accelerate Aligned’s next phase of growth.”
Citigroup Global Markets, Inc served as exclusive financial advisor to Aligned on the transaction, with legal advice provided by Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, LLP. Guggenheim Securities served as exclusive financial advisor to MIP and White & Case LLP provided legal advice.
About Aligned
Aligned is an infrastructure technology company that offers colocation and build-to-scale solutions to cloud, enterprise, and managed service providers. Our intelligent infrastructure allows us to deliver data centers like a utility—accessible and consumable as needed. By reducing the energy, water and space needed to operate, our data center solutions combined with our patented cooling technology offer businesses a competitive advantage by improving reliability and their bottom-line.
About Macquarie Infrastructure Partners
MIP is an investment fund managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA).
As of its most recent reporting date (September 30, 2017), MIRA had assets under management of $US111 billion invested in 137 portfolio businesses, ~300 properties and ~4.5 million hectares of farmland. MIRA is a division of Macquarie Asset Management, the asset management arm of Macquarie Group, a diversified financial group providing clients with asset management, banking, advisory and risk and capital solutions across debt, equity and commodities.
About BlueMountain
BlueMountain Capital Management, LLC is a diversified alternative asset manager managing more than $21 billion of assets. BlueMountain was founded in 2003 and today operates a collaborative, multi-disciplinary platform, investing in strategies across major asset classes. The firm has a global presence and serves sophisticated investors via commingled hedge funds, longer-dated private capital funds, and customized single-investor fund solutions. BlueMountain’s diverse team of professionals in New York and London is supported by the firm’s institutionalized and proprietary infrastructure, including specialized operations and risk management technology.
