Manulife Buys Controlling Interest in Data Center Operator Serverfarm

May 22, 2023
Global financial firms continue to acquire data center platforms, bringing more capital into the digital infrastructure sector. Manulife Investment Management has agreed to buy a controlling interest in Serverfarm.

Global financial firms continue to acquire in data center platforms, bringing more capital into the digital infrastructure sector. 

Manulife Investment Management announced Friday that it has agreed to acquire a controlling interest in Serverfarm, a data center developer that operates eight data centers and 1.5 million square feet of space across North America, Europe and Israel. The investment by Manulife IM, together with support from existing shareholders, will provide funding for Serverfarm to continue its expansion and "capitalize on attractive market opportunities."

Investors remain focused on the market for digital infrastructure, citing extraordinary demand for capital to fuel the data economy. Interest in data centers has been boosted by the growth of hyperscale computing, and most recently by the potential for AI and automation to change business.

Serverfarm launched in 2009 as the data center development arm of the Red Sea Group, an investment group based in Israel. Led by founder and CEO Avner Papouchado, Serverfarm has focused on data center management as a service (DMaaS), using its proprietary InCommand software, which uses machine learning to monitor infrastructure and provide remote management.    

Manulife IM is the global wealth and asset management arm of Canadian insurance giant Manulife. Its acquisition of Serverfarm continues a trend in which global investors like Blackstone, KKR, EQT Infrastructure and Macquarie have bought large data center platforms. 

“Avner and the Serverfarm team have built a high-quality data center portfolio and growth platform that is well-positioned to capitalize on the strong secular tailwinds in the data center market,” said Recep Kendircioglu, global head of infrastructure, Manulife Investment Management. “We are excited about the company’s future and our ability to support Serverfarm through its next phase of growth on behalf of our clients.”

“Partnering with Manulife Investment Management, an investor that shares Serverfarm’s vision for growth and customer service, will allow us to effectively address the next wave of demand from our existing and new customers,” said Papouchado. “Our new relationship with Manulife Investment Management provides Serverfarm with additional expertise and new capital to execute on a number of attractive development opportunities and give our customers a long-term growth runway.”

Merger and acquisition activity in the data center remained near record levels in 2022, with 187 transactions at a total deal value of $48 billion, according to Synergy Research Group. That was just shy of the record-setting $49 billion in deals that closed in 2021.

The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2023 after the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including the receipt of certain regulatory approvals.

About the Author

Rich Miller

I write about the places where the Internet lives, telling the story of data centers and the people who build them. I founded Data Center Knowledge, the data center industry's leading news site. Now I'm exploring the future of cloud computing at Data Center Frontier.

Sponsored Recommendations

NECA Manual of Labor Rates Chart

See how Champion Fiberglass compares to PVC, GRC and PVC-coated steel in installation.

Electrical Conduit Cost Savings: A Must-Have Guide for Engineers & Contractors

To help identify cost savings that don’t cut corners on quality, Champion Fiberglass developed a free resource for engineers and contractors.

Conduit Sweeps and Elbows for Data Centers and Utilities

Data Centers and Utilities projects require a large number of electrical conduit sweeps and elbows. Learn why Champion Fiberglass is the best supplier for these projects.

Prefabricated Conduit Duct Banks Enable Smooth and Safe Electrical Installation for a Data Center

Prefabricated conduit duct banks encourage a smooth, safe electrical conduit installation for a data center.

Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.com
Source: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.com

Breaking Free from Device Drivers: The Future of DCIM Solutions

Max Hamner, Research and Development Engineer at Modius, explains the benefits of protocol-based DCIM solutions.

White Papers

Chatsworth Cover 2023 08 07 11 57 53

The Data Center Innovation Will Change the Way You Think About Liquid Cooling

Aug. 7, 2023
The demand for high density servers and high-performance computing continues to grow – as does the amount of heat generated by all this computing power. Data center operators ...