Vantage Data Centers, a major hyperscale developer and operator, is exploring options including an initial public offering (IPO) or sale as soon as next year, according to people familiar with the matter. This move comes as AI-driven demand lifts data center valuations and fuels dealmaking.

Data Center Sector Sees Revival in Public Listings

Vantage, backed by private equity firm Silver Lake and infrastructure investor DigitalBridge Group, could raise around $10 billion and pursue a stock market listing at a valuation of about $100 billion, which would make it the largest data center IPO to date. The company may also consider a sale, including a stake sale.

The discussions come as data center operators have attracted billions of dollars from investors seeking exposure to the rapid growth in computing capacity needed to support artificial intelligence. Data center owners have also become increasingly attractive to technology companies and other strategic buyers looking to secure capacity for AI workloads.

Vantage has raised roughly $11 billion since late 2023, including a $9.2 billion equity investment led by DigitalBridge and Silver Lake. The company recently partnered with Oracle and OpenAI on a data center campus in Wisconsin tied to Stargate, a joint venture between SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle to build AI data center infrastructure of up to $500 billion and 10 gigawatts.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.