Infrastructure Investor CVC DIF Buys Majority Stake in German Data Centre Operator
Amsterdam, Sunday 16 August 2026
CVC DIF has acquired a majority stake in firstcolo to fund a new 24 MW AI-ready data centre near Frankfurt, featuring advanced liquid-cooling for high-density computing.
A Strategic Move in a Supply-Constrained Hub
Amsterdam-headquartered CVC DIF, the infrastructure investment arm of global private markets manager CVC, has agreed to acquire a significant majority interest in the Frankfurt-based colocation data centre operator firstcolo GmbH [1][2][3][4]. The transaction, executed via the DIF Value Add IV fund, involves acquiring the stake from Cube Infrastructure Managers, who had previously acquired firstcolo in 2022 [1][3][4]. While the financial terms of the agreement remain undisclosed, the deal is expected to close by 30 September 2026, subject to customary closing conditions [1][2][3][4]. This acquisition allows CVC DIF, which manages approximately €23 billion in infrastructure assets, to expand its footprint in the highly competitive and supply-constrained FLAP-D (Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Dublin) data centre market [1][2][3].
High-Performance Infrastructure and AI Readiness
Established in 2007, firstcolo currently operates two near-fully-utilised Tier 3 data centres in the Frankfurt metropolitan region: the 1,200-square-metre Werkhaus facility, which holds 1,000 racks, and the AOC Data Centre, housing approximately 390 racks [1][3][4]. The operator serves more than 350 enterprise customers, supported by an IP backbone capacity exceeding 2,000 Gbit/s and a 99.999% guaranteed availability [1][2][3][4]. To cater to the exponential growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing workloads, firstcolo is shifting its focus toward high-performance greenfield developments [1][2][4].
The FRA7 Expansion and Liquid-Cooling Capabilities
The immediate priority for the partnership is the construction of the ‘FRA7’ data centre in Rosbach vor der Höhe, located north of Frankfurt, which commenced development in May 2026 [2][3][4]. Representing an investment of approximately €250 million, the site was chosen specifically because grid connection was available faster there than in Frankfurt proper [4]. FRA7 is designed for a total capacity of 24 MW, with a maximum IT load of 16 MW, meaning the IT load accounts for 66.667% of the total capacity [1][2][4]. The facility will feature state-of-the-art liquid-cooled racks capable of supporting up to 200 kW per rack, making it fully optimised for high-density AI and high-performance computing (HPC) applications [1][2][4].
Sustainability and Next-Generation Connectivity
In addition to high density, the FRA7 project prioritises environmental efficiency, targeting a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) rating below 1.2 [1][2]. To minimise its carbon footprint, firstcolo has secured a partnership with regional energy provider OVAG to feed waste heat from the facility directly into local district heating networks [2][3]. This focus on modern infrastructure is complemented by advanced connectivity; in April 2026, firstcolo became the first German customer to adopt the DE-CIX Connected Site product, enabling direct, low-latency access to cloud and GPU-as-a-service providers [4].
Leadership Continuity and Long-Term Growth
Following the transaction, firstcolo’s founding management team—including Chief Executive Officer Jerome Evans and Chief Operating Officer Nicolaj Kamensek—alongside Chief Financial Officer Dennis Bergfeld, will retain equity stakes and continue to lead the company [1][2][3][4]. Willem Jansonius, Managing Partner at CVC DIF, highlighted that the transaction represents a rare opportunity to acquire a highly resilient, cash-generative business paired with a substantially de-risked expansion pipeline [1][2][3][4]. With the backing of CVC DIF’s international reach and local expertise, firstcolo plans to establish itself as a leading German colocation platform by developing further high-performance facilities across Frankfurt and wider German markets [1][3].