Your Infra Network
Meridiam acquired a majority stake in Ilitha, an innovative telecommunications company whose main objective is to provide affordable, unlimited internet solutions to underserved areas in South Africa. This investment, made through the Meridiam TURF B Fund, will enable Ilitha to accelerate its fibre rollout in South Africa’s township communities, with the ambition to connect more than half a million households. Through what promises to be a fruitful collaboration, Meridiam will draw on founders and existing management to ensure the company’s growth and achieve its ambition. Read more
Energy transition data and analytics company Orennia announced the closing of its Series C growth financing round. The round was led by BlackRock and Temasek’s decarbonization-focused fund, Decarbonization Partners, and follows a $25 million Series B financing by the company in July 2023. Decarbonization Partners, which led the funding round, was launched by BlackRock and Temasek in 2022, establishing a late-stage venture capital and growth private equity partnership to invest in companies providing technologies and solutions that help accelerate the transition to a net zero economy by 2050. The new financing round also included participation from existing investors.
The European Investment Fund (“EIF”) commits €75 million to Vesper Next Generation Infrastructure Fund I targeting to raise €800 million for sustainable infrastructure. The Fund focuses on investment opportunities in clean, digital and decentralised energy; decarbonised mobility and connected logistics; data-centric, low latency digital infrastructure; and sustainable, circular and healthy living solutions. Read more
VALOREM Group, a major independent player in renewable energy, and Banque des Territoires, committed to driving the ecological transition in France, announce the transfer of a second portfolio of solar and wind projects to the “Calypso” platform, jointly established in 2023. Established at the end of 2023, the “Calypso” investment platform, owned 51% by VALOREM and 49% by Banque des Territoires, aims to develop 500 MW of solar and wind power plants by 2027. This will ultimately represent an annual production of over 1.1 TWh, equivalent to the electricity consumption of an urban area of more than 485,000 residents, such as Strasbourg. Through this strategic partnership, VALOREM Group leverages its technical and operational expertise built over three decades in the renewable energy sector. Committed to driving the country’s ecological transition, Banque des Territoires supports the development of a new decarbonised energy mix. Its investment capacity helps accelerate the deployment of these renewable energy production assets. Read more
Crédit Agricole Assurances, Crédit Agricole CIB and Crédit Agricole Transitions & Energies, alongside Crédit Agricole’s Caisses régionales, strengthen their commitment to financing the transition towards a low-carbon economy with the launch of the “Crédit Agricole Transition Infrastructure Debt Fund” (“CATI”). Managed by RGREEN INVEST, a pioneer in energy transition financing, this Article 9 fund aims to support French and European companies deploying infrastructure projects that contribute to a less carbon-intensive economy. Read more
Kering and Ardian today announced the signature of a binding investment agreement pertaining to three highly prestigious real estate properties in Paris. This portfolio comprises Hôtel de Nocé, located 26, place Vendôme, and two buildings located on avenue Montaigne, at 35-37 and 56. Kering is contributing these assets to a newly created joint venture. Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, will hold a stake of 60% in this unique prime real estate portfolio, Kering retaining 40% of the ownership. Net proceeds for Kering will amount to €837 million. Read more
Omnes, a leading Paris-based private equity and infrastructure firm, is pleased to announce the final close of its fifth-generation renewable energy fund, Capenergie 5, which took place on December 17th 2024. The fund has raised €2.05 billion, including €250 million in co-investments, significantly surpassing its initial €1.35 billion target and hard cap of €1.65 billion. This final close represents the largest fundraising in Omnes’ history, raised within a two-year period, and reaffirms the firm’s position as a leader in financing the energy transition. Read more
2024 has been another milestone year for the data center industry. Records were broken for mergers and acquisitions at the top end of the market, and numerous smaller deals indicated interesting trends within the wider industry. Here are the biggest and most notable deals of the year in the industry.
The French Ministry of Industry and Energy has awarded the first two commercial floating wind farms in the Mediterranean. The first, located near Narbonne, over 25 km off the coast between Agde and Port-La Nouvelle, will be developed by the Ocean Winds and Éolien en Mer Participation consortium. The second, off Fos-sur-Mer, has been entrusted to Éoliennes Méditerranée Grand Large, owned by EDF Renouvelables and Maple Power. Each farm will have a capacity of 250 MW, with a potential extension to 500 MW. The winners have committed to recycling the turbines, allocating 10% of services to SMEs, providing at least €10 million for participatory financing, and mobilizing 400,000 hours for professional integration.
This initiative is a continuation of their infrastructure debt platform, which reached 20 billion euros in cumulative investments by February 2022. Since its launch in 2012, this platform has financed over 100 projects in 20 countries, covering diverse sectors such as renewable energies, telecommunications and transport. Notable projects include Ireland's longest bridge and one of Chile's largest solar power plants. This new strategy is designed to reinforce AllianzGI's commitment to financing infrastructure projects that are vital to the global economy.
Proximus Luxembourg Infrastructure owns and manages 267 mobile tower assets, supporting Proximus Luxembourg's mobile operations under the Tango and Proximus NXT brands. This acquisition will enable InfraRed to strengthen its position in the telecommunications infrastructure sector in Luxembourg, leveraging the expertise of the current management team to expand the tower portfolio in response to growing customer demands. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals. Read more
EQT launched a new energy transition strategy by acquiring ju:niz Energy, a German company specializing in the development and operation of battery energy storage systems. The EQT Transition Infrastructure strategy aims to invest in companies driving the shift toward clean energy and a more circular, resource-efficient economy. The investments will focus on regions including North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific, targeting sectors such as electrification, EV charging infrastructure, electric heat pumps, advanced recycling, and battery energy storage systems. The acquisition of ju:niz Energy, based in Aschheim, Germany, marks the first transaction under this strategy. EQT plans to provide capital and expertise to help ju:niz Energy expand its operations and support the clean energy transition. This initiative highlights EQT’s commitment to investing in sustainable solutions and contributing to a decarbonized, climate-resilient future. Read more