11 March 2024  |  London

DIF Capital Partners sells UK onshore wind farm project to TfL Pension Fund

DIF Capital Partners is pleased to announce that DIF Infrastructure IV (DIF IV) has signed an agreement to sell a UK onshore wind farm project to the Transport for London Pension Fund. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions and approvals, and is expected to take place in Q2 2024.

The Wadlow wind farm project, located close to Cambridge, has an installed capacity of 26MW and comprises 13 Vestas V90 2MW turbines. The wind farm has been operational since September 2012 and was acquired by DIF IV in 2016.

Andrew Freeman, Partner and Head of Exits at DIF Capital Partners, said: “We are very pleased with the successful exit of this project. Our proactive approach to divestments helps to deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns for our investors, with this sale further demonstrating the strong track record of our investment strategies.”

“The success of this investment since 2016 demonstrates how financing the energy transition can deliver strong returns for our investors as well as drive the transition to net zero. DIF will be continuing to look for investment opportunities in the UK renewables sector in the coming years.”

DIF IV was advised on the transaction by PKF Francis Clark (financial), Osborne Clarke (legal) and Natural Power (technical).

 

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is an infrastructure fund manager with more than EUR 17 billion of assets under management. DIF was founded in 2005 and has a leading position in managing mid-market investments, primarily in Europe and North America.

DIF follows two strategies: its traditional DIF funds invest in infrastructure projects and companies in the energy transition (incl. renewables) and utilities sector, as well as concessions. The firm’s CIF funds invest in companies with strong growth potential that are active in infrastructure sectors such as digital infrastructure, energy transition and sustainable transportation.

With a team of over 240 professionals in 11 offices, DIF offers a unique market approach combining global presence with the benefits of strong local networks and investment capabilities. DIF is located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto.

In September 2023, CVC, a leading global private markets manager, announced that it would be acquiring a majority stake in DIF Capital Partners. Closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected in Q2 2024.

For more information, please visit www.dif.eu or follow us on LinkedIn.

 

Press contact:

DIF Capital Partners: press@dif.eu

The Wadlow wind farm project
5 March 2024  |  Schiphol

DIF Capital Partners raises EUR 6.8 billion for its latest infrastructure funds

The successful fund raisings for DIF VII and CIF III represent a 50% increase compared to the prior funds.

DIF Capital Partners (DIF), a leading global infrastructure fund manager, is pleased to announce it has raised EUR 6.8 billion for its latest infrastructure funds with final closes across DIF Infrastructure VII (DIF VII) EUR 4.4 billion, DIF Core-Plus Infrastructure Fund III (CIF III) EUR 1.6 billion, and certain Co-investment vehicles EUR 0.8 billion.

DIF experienced strong investor demand from both existing and new institutional investors across the globe, enabling both DIF VII and CIF III to exceed their target fund sizes of EUR 4.0 billion and EUR 1.5 billion respectively. Total commitments for the predecessor funds (DIF VI and CIF II) equaled EUR 3.0 billion and EUR 1.0 billion.

DIF VII targets infrastructure investments, often concession-based or with long-term offtake agreements offering stable and predictable cash flows as well as attractive risk-adjusted returns. Sectors covered are transportation, (renewable) energy, digital infrastructure as well as utilities.

CIF III targets investment opportunities with strong growth potential. It focuses on a broad range of infrastructure sectors including digital infrastructure (specifically datacenters and fibre), energy transition as well as sustainable transportation.

Both fund strategies target a mix of operational and greenfield investments and predominantly focus on Europe and North America.

The funds received commitments from a diverse institutional investor base of more than 110 investors across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East, including public and private pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, financial institutions, foundations, and private wealth investors.

Wim Blaasse, CEO at DIF Capital Partners, said: “We are extremely grateful to our investors for their trust and support, and this successful fundraising reinforces DIF’s leading position in the infrastructure market.

In addition, we are excited by the journey ahead as we team up with CVC, and accelerate the growth of our investment capabilities, our geographic reach, and lever the CVC network”.

Gijs Voskuyl, Deputy CEO at DIF Capital Partners, said: “An ever growing demand for infrastructure capital provides an exciting investment opportunity for us, and with our investment track record and experienced teams on the ground across our network of offices in eleven countries, we are confident we can use this capital to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities.”

To date, both funds have invested or committed to nine investments each, thereby deploying around 50% of total commitments. For DIF VII this includes investments in Saur, a global water solutions provider, Fjord1, a Norwegian electric ferry concessions operator and Green Street Power Partners, a US distributed solar developer/IPP. For CIF III this includes investments in metrofibre, a German urban fibre roll-out platform, Tonaquint, a US datacenter platform and Rail First, an Australian rail leasing business.

 

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is an infrastructure fund manager with more than EUR 17 billion of assets under management. DIF was founded in 2005 and has a leading position in managing mid-market investments, primarily in Europe and North America.

DIF follows two strategies: its traditional DIF funds invest in infrastructure projects and companies in the energy transition (incl. renewables) and utilities sector, as well as concessions. The firm’s CIF funds invest in companies with strong growth potential that are active in infrastructure sectors such as digital infrastructure, energy transition and sustainable transportation.

With a team of over 240 professionals in 11 offices, DIF offers a unique market approach combining global presence with the benefits of strong local networks and investment capabilities. DIF is located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto.

In September 2023, CVC, a leading global private markets manager, announced that it would be acquiring a majority stake in DIF Capital Partners. Closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected in Q2 2024.

For more information, please visit www.dif.eu or follow us on LinkedIn.

 

Press contact:

DIF Capital Partners: press@dif.eu

DIF Capital Partners raises EUR 6.8 billion
28 February 2024  |  London

DIF Capital Partners sells US toll road Northwest Parkway

DIF Capital Partners (DIF) is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement to sell its 33.3% stake in Northwest Parkway to VINCI Highways, subsidiary of VINCI Concessions, part of the VINCI group, global concession operator and construction company headquartered in France and listed on the Paris Stock Exchange. DIF is selling its stake in the toll road alongside its co-shareholders HICL Infrastructure PLC and funds managed by Northleaf Capital Partners in a joint sale for 100% of the equity interest in the project.

The Northwest Parkway toll road project (NWP) is a ca. 14km US toll road located in Denver, Colorado. Originally constructed in 2003, NWP comprises the northwest quadrant of the Denver Metropolitan area beltway. Among other purposes, the road serves as a vital connection between Northwest Denver and the Denver International Airport. The road was acquired by DIF in 2017, via its DIF Infrastructure IV (DIF IV) fund and co-investors, alongside consortium members.

Andrew Freeman, Partner and Head of Exits at DIF Capital Partners, said: “This successful exit represents a material transaction for DIF IV, after actively managing it through covid times back to normality, generating strong yield and now realising attractive returns for our investors.”

Closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions and approvals, and is expected to take place in Q2 2024.

DIF was advised on the transaction by Evercore (financial), Kirkland & Ellis (legal), C&M (traffic & revenue), KPMG (accounting & tax) and Arup (technical).

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is an infrastructure fund manager with over EUR 17 billion of assets under management. DIF was founded in 2005 and has a leading position in managing mid-market investments, primarily in Europe, North America and Australia.

DIF follows two strategies: its traditional DIF funds invest in lower-risk mid-sized infrastructure projects and companies in the energy transition (incl. renewables) and utilities sector, as well as PPPs and concessions. The firm’s CIF funds invest in small to mid-sized companies that will thrive in the new economy. These companies are typically active in the digital infrastructure, energy transition and sustainable transportation sector.

With a team of over 240 professionals in 11 offices, DIF offers a unique market approach combining global presence with the benefits of strong local networks and investment capabilities. DIF is located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto.

For more information, please visit www.dif.eu or follow us on LinkedIn.

Press contacts:
DIF Capital Partners: press@dif.eu

 

30 November 2023  |  Toronto

DIF investee company Tonaquint acquires EdgeX Data Centers in Oklahoma City

Premier data centre solutions provider expands geographic footprint.

DIF Capital Partners’ (DIF) investee company Tonaquint Data Centers (Tonaquint) has acquired EdgeX Data Centers (EdgeX), adding a further site to its portfolio of data centres in the United States.

Tonaquint is a specialised data centre provider offering cloud, colocation, backup, disaster recovery and network-as-a-service solutions to mid-market organisations through its facilities in the Mountain West and Southwest regions of the United States.

This acquisition adds another data centre to Tonaquint’s existing platform in Boise, Idaho and St. George, Utah, and enables Tonaquint to extend its robust portfolio into the rapidly growing Oklahoma City market, and adjacent markets. Tonaquint was acquired by DIF in December 2022.

The EdgeX facility is a purpose-built Tier III data centre, comprising 65,000 square feet in total, including two 10,000 square foot data halls, situated on a highly secure 4-acre campus. The facility has the ability to deliver water-chilled cooling for high density workloads.

Tonaquint plans to commission a minimum of 2.5 MW of critical IT load, via a phased approach, in the first year of operations. With an expansion capability of up to 12MW, the EdgeX facility holds significant future upside.

Strategically located near Will Rogers World Airport, the EdgeX facility utilizes the same electrical grid that powers the airport and is designed to withstand tornado-force winds of up to 310 mph, positioning it to provide 100% uptime.

As part of the transaction, Terry Morrison, Co-Founder and CTO of EdgeX, will join Tonaquint as COO and CTO.

Willem Jansonius, Partner at DIF and Tonaquint board member said: “This acquisition is a great step towards further building out the Tonaquint platform and expanding into underserved markets. We welcome Terry Morrison to join the strong management team at Tonaquint. Data centres form an important part of DIF’s investment strategy. We believe the investment offers substantial opportunities for value enhancement in the coming years, combined with reliable cash flows from high-quality contracts.”

Matt Hamlin, CEO of Tonaquint said: “Working with the EdgeX team has been an absolute pleasure. This transaction will enable Tonaquint to accelerate its growth and expand the service offering to our clients.”

John Parsons, Co-Founder of EdgeX said: “We are thrilled to be able to bring EdgeX together with Tonaquint and are excited about continuing to work with them to extend the capabilities of the Tonaquint platform into the very vibrant Oklahoma City market.”

 

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is an infrastructure fund manager with ca. EUR 16 billion of assets under management. DIF was founded in 2005 and has a leading position in managing mid-market investments, primarily in Europe, North America and Australia.

DIF follows two strategies: its traditional DIF funds invest in lower-risk mid-sized infrastructure projects and companies in the energy transition (incl. renewables) and utilities sector, as well as PPPs and concessions. The firm’s CIF funds invest in small to mid-sized companies that will thrive in the new economy. These companies are typically active in the digital infrastructure, energy transition and sustainable transportation sector.

With a team of over 225 professionals in 11 offices, DIF offers a unique market approach combining global presence with the benefits of strong local networks and investment capabilities. DIF is located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto.

For more information, please visit www.dif.eu or follow us on LinkedIn.

 

About Tonaquint

Tonaquint was founded in 2008 in St. George, UT, and entered the Boise, ID, market in 2020 with the acquisition of Fiberpipe Data Centers, Inc. Tonaquint provides a comprehensive set of data center solutions to a diverse and growing client base in the technology, healthcare, financial services, and industrial sectors, in high growth and emerging markets. In December 2022, DIF Capital Partners acquired Tonaquint, to enable Tonaquint to continue its growth. To learn more and get connected, visit tonaquint.com.

 

About EdgeX

EdgeX was founded in 2021, after acquiring a facility originally built by Devon Energy. EdgeX provides resilient facilities for businesses with demanding uptime, scalable compute, storage, and content distribution requirements, across the financial services, digital content distribution, and insurance verticals. For more information, please visit https://edgexdc.com/about-us.

 

Press contacts:

DIF Capital Partners: press@dif.eu

Tonaquint: jsa_tonaquint@jsa.net

EdgeX Data Centers
21 November 2023  |  Schiphol

DIF Capital Partners to acquire a majority interest in Novar, leading Dutch developer of green energy systems

DIF Capital Partners (via its DIF Infrastructure VI fund) has signed an agreement to acquire 60% of Novar, the leading developer of large-scale sustainable energy systems in the Netherlands.

The transaction marks the start of a long-term collaboration to deliver sustainable and innovative renewable energy solutions. As part of the investment, DIF will provide growth capital to among others support the expansion of Novar’s utility-scale solar, rooftop solar and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) portfolio.

Headquartered in Groningen, Novar owns and operates 440MW of utility-scale solar PV, rooftop solar and BESS projects. It has a development project pipeline of more than 15GW. Novar is a front-runner in integrated energy solutions, currently developing the largest private grid project in the Netherlands, which will provide grid connection for several of its large-scale solar and BESS projects, as well as the first Dutch solar thermal and green hydrogen projects.

The company operates a fully integrated Independent Power Producer model, providing operation & maintenance, technical & commercial asset management and consultancy & flex services to its own portfolio and to third parties.

Gijs Voskuyl, Partner at DIF, said: “The investment in Novar presents an opportunity for DIF to support the Dutch solar energy market leader with a long track record of successfully delivering ground-mounted and rooftop projects. Its existing 440MW contracted portfolio offers a robust investment proposition and with the extensive pipeline in solar and storage projects, we can continue to invest in energy transition investment opportunities going forward. We’re looking forward to working with Novar’s management team to continue to jointly grow the company in the years ahead.”

Gerben Smit, CEO of Novar Holding, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Thanks to this strategic partnership, Novar has the opportunity to shape further growth, expand internationally and achieve the target of 4GW of operating capacity by 2030.”

DIF was advised by KPMG (financial advisor), McKinsey (commercial advisor), Arup (technical advisor) and NautaDutilh (legal advisor). Novar was advised by Voltiq (financial advisor), Eversheds Sutherland and Hogan Lovells (legal advisors).

The transaction is subject to regulatory and other approvals and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023.

 

About Novar Holding:

Novar Holding, formerly Solarfields, was founded in 2014 and specializes in the development of large-scale sustainable energy systems. For more information, please visit www.novar.nl.

 

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is an infrastructure fund manager with ca. EUR 16 billion of assets under management. DIF was founded in 2005 and has a leading position in managing mid-market investments, primarily in Europe, North America and Australia.

DIF follows two strategies: its traditional DIF funds invest in lower-risk mid-sized infrastructure projects and companies in the energy transition (incl. renewables) and utilities sector, as well as PPPs and concessions. The firm’s CIF funds invest in small to mid-sized companies that will thrive in the new economy. These companies are typically active in the digital infrastructure, energy transition and sustainable transportation sector.

With a team of over 225 professionals in 11 offices, DIF offers a unique market approach combining global presence with the benefits of strong local networks and investment capabilities. DIF is located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto.

For more information, please visit www.dif.eu or follow us on LinkedIn.

 

Press contacts:

DIF Capital Partners: press@dif.eu

Novar: David de Jong, david.dejong@novar.nl, +31 6 27971111

Novar
20 November 2023  |  Sydney

DIF Capital Partners achieves full tenor refinancing on Bay Village -Karratha Accommodation Project

DIF Capital Partners (via its DIF V fund) is pleased to announce that it has successfully refinanced the Bay Village – Karratha Accommodation Facility, securing full tenor financing for the remainder of the availability based ~12-year concession, eliminating refinancing risk and providing future certainty for global energy company Woodside.

The value accretive refinancing delivers outperformance to investors and consists of a full tenor, low-cost, fully hedged senior debt facility from lead underwriter MUFG, leveraging DIF’s strong local relationship and taking advantage of the asset’s robust operational performance.

Bay Village, located in Karratha, Western Australia, comprises a 604-bed fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) facility purpose-built to accommodate employees and contractors engaged in Woodside’s North-West Shelf and Pluto energy projects. The facility offers a range of amenities, including a gym, outdoor swimming pool, recreational spaces, dining areas, multi-use sports courts, extensive food offerings, and social initiatives to promote the health, wellbeing and comfort of its residents.

Bay Village plays a pivotal role in supporting and bolstering Woodside’s energy projects in Australia, aligning with the global energy transition, and supporting neighbouring nations in emission reduction efforts.

The successful refinancing underscores DIF’s value creation capability, ability to secure competitive financing for critical infrastructure projects and track record of providing substantial value to our investors.

DIF Capital Partners was advised by Tetris Capital, Corrs Chambers Westgarth and Advisian. MUFG was advised by Allens.

 

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is an infrastructure fund manager with ca. EUR 16 billion of assets under management. DIF was founded in 2005 and has a leading position in managing mid-market investments, primarily in Europe, North America and Australia.

DIF follows two strategies: its traditional DIF funds invest in lower-risk mid-sized infrastructure projects and companies in the energy transition (incl. renewables) and utilities sector, as well as PPPs and concessions. The firm’s CIF funds invest in small to mid-sized companies that will thrive in the new economy. These companies are typically active in the digital infrastructure, energy transition and sustainable transportation sector.

With a team of over 225 professionals in 11 offices, DIF offers a unique market approach combining global presence with the benefits of strong local networks and investment capabilities. DIF is located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto.

For more information, please visit www.dif.eu or follow us on LinkedIn.

Press contact: press@dif.eu

Bay Village - Karratha Accommodation
31 October 2023  |  Schiphol

DIF Capital Partners and EDF Invest to acquire leading Norwegian electric ferry operator Fjord1

DIF Capital Partners (via its DIF Infrastructure VII fund), and EDF Invest (the investment arm of the EDF Group in real assets) have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Fjord1, the largest owner and operator of ferries in Norway.

The company will be acquired from Vision Ridge Partners, a global sustainable real assets investor, and Havila Holding, an investment company owned by the Sævik family in Norway. Vision Ridge and Havila Holding have been investors in Fjord1 since 2019 and 2011, respectively. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Operating under long term concessions and with a fleet of 81 vessels, Fjord1 is Norway’s largest ferry operator and the nation’s leading owner and operator of electrified ferry transportation. Ferries are an integral part of the Norwegian transportation infrastructure, with the company serving approximately 50% of all Norwegian passengers and providing critical high-frequency boat services between the mainland and islands, as well as across fjords that facilitate commuting, leisure, tourism, and goods transportation across the country.

Gijs Voskuyl, Partner at DIF, says: “We’re very excited to invest in Fjord1, which is operating under a concession-based model, and which is a leader in delivering environmentally friendly and reliable ferry transportation in Norway. We look forward to working with our partner EDF Invest and the company’s management team to continue to invest in new vessels as Fjord1 continues to grow its electrified fleet to support the energy transition of the ferry industry.”

Alexandre Pieyre, Head of EDF Invest, adds: “EDF Invest is thrilled to invest in Norway and become a shareholder of Fjord1, a company at the forefront of innovation and decarbonization. Alongside our partner DIF and with an experienced management team, we look forward to supporting the company and its employees to pursue this low carbon strategy and to bring even more innovation to the transportation industry.”

Following the close of the transaction, which is expected in early 2024, Fjord1 will continue to be led by CEO Dagfinn Neteland, supported by his current team of over 1,000 employees.

“Management is pleased that the sales process has been completed, which has been a long and thorough process, where we experienced significant interest in the company from a number of parties. The management team is excited and looking forward to working with the new owners of the company and jointly build on the strong position that Fjord1 has in the market to make the company even stronger in the years ahead.” says Dagfinn Neteland, CEO of Fjord1.

Under Vision Ridge’s and Havila Holding’s ownership, the proportion of vessels within Fjord1’s fleet that operate on electricity has increased by over 50%. As a result, Fjord1’s operating fleet today is approximately 60% electric – the highest proportion in Norway – and comprises approximately half of all electric ferries currently operating in Norway, serving 44 routes across 16 contracts in the Norwegian market.

Having been part of a transitional period for Fjord1, where the company has been at the forefront of implementing electric ferries, we are happy to have found a new owner for Fjord1 who can help develop the company further. The last tender win where Fjord1 is to deliver autonomous operations is a testament to the competence in the company. There is no doubt in my mind that Fjord1 will continue to be a world leader in zero emission transportation and operational excellence,” comments Vegard Sævik, Chairman of Fjord1 AS & Board of Director at Havila Holding.

“Since investing in Fjord1 in 2019, we have worked closely with Havila Holding to strategically scale the company’s operations and increase fleet electrification to help cement its position as the nation’s leading owner and operator of electrified ferry transportation. Vision Ridge is proud to have executed our mission of mobilizing capital to address climate change and the tremendous progress Fjord1 has made over the last five years as a result. We are confident that DIF and EDF Invest are the ideal partners to help further grow Fjord1’s market share of the Norwegian fleet sector and look forward to the company’s continued success,” concludes Reuben Munger, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Vision Ridge.

Rothschild & Co. served as financial advisor, and Ropes & Gray LLP and Schjødt served as legal advisors, to Vision Ridge and Havila Holding. DIF and EDF Invest are advised by Deutsche Bank and Cantor Fitzgerald (financial advisors), Jefferies and Cantor Fitzgerald (debt advisors), Wikborg Rein (legal advisor), Allen & Overy (legal advisor – financing), Roland Berger (commercial advisor), Arup (technical advisor), PWC (financial and tax advisor) and Deloitte (operational advisor).

 

Press contacts:

For DIF Capital Partners

press@dif.eu

For EDF Invest

jessica.goncalves@edf.fr

For Havila

Vegard Sævik

vegard@havila.no

For Vision Ridge Partners

Amanda Shpiner/Sara Widmann

Gasthalter & Co.

(212) 257-4170

Vision-Ridge@gasthalter.com

 

About Fjord1

Fjord1 is the leading floating bridge operator in Norway, providing critical high-frequency ferry and express boat services with a large fleet of modern and electric ferries. Since starting operations in 1858 in Florø, Fjord1 has extended its fleet to 81 vessels (including 39 electric projected as of end of year) and now operates 44 routes across 16 contracts. Revenues are underpinned by long-term availability-based contracts which have no volume risk and Fjord1 is leading the shift to zero-emission ferry connections. For more information, please visit: www.fjord1.no/eng.

 

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is an infrastructure fund manager with ca. EUR 16 billion of assets under management. DIF was founded in 2005 and has a leading position in managing mid-market investments, primarily in Europe, North America and Australia.

DIF follows two strategies: its traditional DIF funds invest in lower-risk mid-sized infrastructure projects and companies in the energy transition (incl. renewables) and utilities sector, as well as PPPs and concessions. The firm’s CIF funds invest in small to mid-sized companies that will thrive in the new economy. These companies are typically active in the digital infrastructure, energy transition and sustainable transportation sector.

With a team of over 225 professionals in 11 offices, DIF offers a unique market approach combining global presence with the benefits of strong local networks and investment capabilities. DIF is located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto.

For more information, please visit www.dif.eu or follow us on LinkedIn.

 

About EDF Invest

EDF Invest, the investment arm of EDF for non-listed Dedicated Assets, currently manages around €9bn of equity and is targeting around €12 billion in the next few years. EDF Invest contributes to the funding of the decommissioning of EDF’s power plants in France. Its mission is to diversify EDF’s portfolio of Dedicated Assets and lengthen its investment horizon by targeting three non-listed asset classes in France and abroad: Infrastructure, Real Estate and Funds. For more information, please visit www.edfinvest.com or follow us on Linkedin.

 

About Havila Holding

Havila Holding is a family-owned, industrial investment company located in the west coast of Norway. Based on the family’s background in fishing vessels Havila Holding has utilized the generational know-how of safe and efficient operations to establish a portfolio of companies with a main focus in the maritime sector. The company is owned by the Sævik-family. For more information, please visit: https://en.havila.no/.

 

About Vision Ridge Partners

By seeking to deliver superior investment returns, Vision Ridge mobilizes capital to address humanity’s greatest challenge: climate change. The Vision Ridge team seeks to leverage its diverse, complementary skillsets, deep industry experience, and strong network of relationships to execute investments across sustainable real assets with a focus on energy, transportation and agriculture. Vision Ridge manages approximately $3.25 billion on behalf of institutional investors globally, as of September 30, 2023. For more information, please visit: https://vision-ridge.com.

Fjord1
19 October 2023  |  Schiphol

DIF Capital Partners appoints new Head of ESG

DIF Capital Partners (DIF) is pleased to announce that it has appointed Lorraine Becker as its new Head of ESG.

Lorraine joins DIF, having served as its interim Head of ESG for the last six months. Previously, she was a Principal Consultant for the world’s largest pure sustainability consulting firm, ERM (Environmental Resources Management) in Calgary, Canada.

At ERM, Lorraine served leading financial services clients, including private equity and pension funds, in developing and implementing best-in-class ESG policies. Lorraine’s previous career includes roles in environmental consulting and corporate sustainability for major businesses in the energy sector both North America and Europe.

DIF has an ongoing commitment to being a responsible investor, as a signatory to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment (UNPRI). In addition, DIF recognises the importance of the goal of Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, or sooner, in line with global efforts on climate change as a result of the Paris Agreement. It is also a signatory to the Net Zero Asset Managers (NZAM) initiative.

Lorraine Becker comments: “Over the coming years, DIF will have an ongoing commitment to being a responsible investor. I’m thrilled to be part of that. It’s exciting to work for a business with a track record of embedding ESG into its business.”

Wim Blaasse, Managing Partner at DIF said: “We’re delighted to welcome Lorraine to DIF permanently. She has already made a major contribution to the business over the last six months. We look forward to her continuing to help drive DIF’s commitment to delivering a positive contribution to a sustainable future.”

 

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is an infrastructure fund manager with ca. EUR 16 billion of assets under management. DIF was founded in 2005 and has a leading position in managing mid-market investments, primarily in Europe, North America and Australia.

DIF follows two strategies: its traditional DIF funds invest in lower-risk mid-sized infrastructure projects and companies in the energy transition (incl. renewables) and utilities sector, as well as PPPs and concessions. The firm’s CIF funds invest in small to mid-sized companies that will thrive in the new economy. These companies are typically active in the digital infrastructure, energy transition and sustainable transportation sector.

With a team of over 225 professionals in 11 offices, DIF offers a unique market approach combining global presence with the benefits of strong local networks and investment capabilities. DIF is located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto.

For more information, please visit www.dif.eu or follow us on LinkedIn.

Contact DIF Capital Partners: press@dif.eu

Lorraine Becker
12 October 2023  |  Schiphol

DIF Capital Partners closes credit facility with innovative ESG performance criteria

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce that it has successfully extended its EUR 1.2 billion credit facility with its main group of lenders for another year until September 2024. As part of this deal, ESG-linked performance criteria have been added to the loan agreement.

The credit facility was closed by the DIF Infrastructure VII fund and is provided by a club of banks including ABN AMRO, BMO, BNP Paribas, HSBC, ING, National Bank of Canada, Rabobank and Santander CIB. ING Bank acted as Sustainability Coordinator.

The loan agreement has been amended to include KPIs for ESG performance, relating both to DIF as a manager and to the ESG performance improvement of the underlying portfolio.

The inclusion of these ESG KPIs in the credit agreement underlines DIF’s desire to positively contribute to a sustainable future. In return, the DIF Infrastructure VII fund benefits from a reduction in margin on the facility upon meeting those KPIs. If the fund does not meet these goals, it will pay a margin premium. This arrangement reflects the lenders’ own ESG positions and commitment to a sustainable future.

“We are delighted to again be working with our long-term lending partners on this innovative credit facility, featuring clear ESG KPIs. The close of this agreement confirms our commitment to delivering a positive contribution to a sustainable future,” said Gijs Voskuyl, Partner and Deputy CEO at DIF.

 

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is an infrastructure fund manager with ca. EUR 16 billion of assets under management. DIF was founded in 2005 and has a leading position in managing mid-market investments, primarily in Europe, North America and Australia.

DIF follows two strategies: its traditional DIF funds invest in lower-risk mid-sized infrastructure projects and companies in the energy transition (incl. renewables) and utilities sector, as well as PPPs and concessions. The firm’s CIF funds invest in small to mid-sized companies that will thrive in the new economy. These companies are typically active in the digital infrastructure, energy transition and sustainable transportation sector.

With a team of over 225 professionals in 11 offices, DIF offers a unique market approach combining global presence with the benefits of strong local networks and investment capabilities. DIF is located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto.

For more information, please visit www.dif.eu or follow us on LinkedIn.

Contact DIF Capital Partners: press@dif.eu

10 October 2023  |  Schiphol

DIF Capital Partners makes double partner promotion in London and New York offices

DIF Capital Partners, the infrastructure equity fund manager with €16bn in AUM, has promoted both Kanan Joshi as well as Caine Bouwmeester from Managing Director to Partner.

Kanan joined DIF in 2021 and is based in New York. She is managing the New York office, is co-head for the firm in North America and Global Head of Digital Infrastructure. Caine joined DIF in 2020, is based in London and is Global Head of Renewable Energy.

Together they bring a wealth of experience in digital infrastructure and renewable energy investments.

Kanan is recognised within the infrastructure industry as an expert in telecoms, including data centres and fibre. Prior to joining DIF, she worked at private investment firms Upper Bay and Digital Bridge, where she was part of the teams leading data center investments. Prior experience also includes roles at JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank advising companies across North America, LATAM and Asia and execution of high-profile M&A and capital raising transactions. Kanan holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Mumbai and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Caine is a renewable energy specialist with more than 16 years’ experience and a track record of developing, acquiring and investing in green energy projects and companies around the world. Prior to DIF, Caine was at Macquarie Capital and the Green Investment Group where he originated and executed infrastructure and renewable energy investments globally, having worked in London, Johannesburg and Toronto. Caine holds a bachelor’s degree in business and financial mathematics from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Masters of Finance from INSEAD.

Wim Blaasse, Managing Partner at DIF said: “We are delighted to welcome Kanan and Caine as partners at DIF. They have contributed meaningfully to our growth, and we look forward to the further contributions Caine and Kanan will bring to both our firm and our portfolio in the years to come.”

 

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is an infrastructure fund manager with ca. EUR 16 billion of assets under management. DIF was founded in 2005 and has a leading position in managing mid-market investments, primarily in Europe, North America and Australia.

DIF follows two strategies: its traditional DIF funds invest in lower-risk mid-sized infrastructure projects and companies in the energy transition (incl. renewables) and utilities sector, as well as PPPs and concessions. The firm’s CIF funds invest in small to mid-sized companies that will thrive in the new economy. These companies are typically active in the digital infrastructure, energy transition and sustainable transportation sector.

With a team of over 225 professionals in 11 offices, DIF offers a unique market approach combining global presence with the benefits of strong local networks and investment capabilities. DIF is located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto.

For more information, please visit www.dif.eu or follow us on LinkedIn.

Contact DIF Capital Partners: press@dif.eu

Caine and Kanan
5 September 2023  |  Schiphol

CVC acquires leading infrastructure manager DIF

This strategic acquisition provides CVC with a leading infrastructure platform, directly adjacent and highly complementary to its existing private equity, secondary and credit strategies. In addition, this acquisition accelerates the growth of DIF, which will continue to operate under the DIF brand and retain independence over its operations and investment decisions.

CVC, a leading global private markets manager focused on private equity, secondaries and credit is acquiring a majority stake in leading infrastructure manager, DIF Capital Partners, and providing a commitment to acquire the remaining shares over time. This combination creates a global private markets manager with seven complementary strategies and approximately €177 billion* of total assets under management.

DIF is headquartered in Amsterdam with €16 billion of assets under management, a team of over 225 professionals across 11 offices and operating two different investment strategies – the Core / Build-to-Core funds and the Core-plus funds. DIF was founded in 2005 and has built a leading position in mid-market infrastructure investments, primarily in Europe, North America and Australia. The tie-up with CVC will help accelerate growth, as DIF continues to deepen and widen both its investment capabilities, its geographic reach and its global investor base. DIF will continue to be led by its current CEO and Partners and it will continue to operate under the DIF brand.

Commenting on the transaction, CVC Chair and Co-Founder, Rolly van Rappard said: “Expanding into infrastructure is a logical next step for us, given the long-term secular growth trends in infrastructure and its adjacency to our existing strategies. We have known the DIF team for several years, and we are delighted to partner with one of the top pure-play global infrastructure managers, with an impressive track record of performance and growth.”

Rob Lucas, Managing Partner at CVC added: “We are excited to join forces with DIF, a top-performing global infrastructure manager. DIF’s business model and culture is deeply aligned with our local model, and our new infrastructure platform will prove highly complementary to our leading private equity, secondary and credit strategies. We are pleased to welcome Wim, the DIF Partners and the entire DIF team to the CVC group and together, we look forward to being a global leader in infrastructure.”

Wim Blaasse, CEO and Managing Partner at DIF said: “We are delighted to be teaming up with CVC, which is a natural step in the evolution of DIF and, together with my Partners, I look forward to leading DIF in this next phase of growth. We have known the CVC team for many years, we have been very impressed by everything they have built and we are excited about becoming part of the CVC group. This transaction enables us to benefit from CVC’s global platform, scale and investor relationships, and to double down on important infrastructure sectors like Energy Transition and Digitalisation while retaining independence over our investment decisions.”

The transaction is subject to regulatory and other consents and is expected to close in Q4 2023 or Q1 2024. The Dutch works council of DIF has been informed and positively advised on the transaction. Advisers to CVC in this transaction included JPMorgan. DIF’s advisers included, among others, Morgan Stanley & Co. Plc, Loyens & Loeff, PwC and De Brauw.

 

* Pro forma for recently closed fundraise

 

Contacts

DIF
press@dif.eu

CVC
Patrick Humphris, phumphris@cvc.com
Carsten Huwendiek, chuwendiek@cvc.com

 

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is an independent infrastructure fund manager, with c.€16 billion of AUM. DIF was founded in 2005 and has built a leading position in managing mid-market investments, primarily in Europe, North America and Australia.

DIF follows two strategies: its traditional DIF funds invest in lower risk mid-sized infrastructure projects and companies in the energy transition (incl. renewables) and utilities sector, as well as PPPs and concessions. The firm’s CIF funds invest in small to mid-sized companies that will thrive in the new economy. These companies are typically active in the digital, energy transition and sustainable transportation sector.

With a team of over 225 professionals in 11 offices, DIF combines global presence with the benefits of strong local networks and investment capabilities. DIF is located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto.

For more information, please visit www.dif.eu.

 

About CVC

CVC is a leading private equity and investment advisory firm with a network of 25 offices throughout EMEA, the Americas and Asia, with approximately €161 billion of assets under management.

CVC has six complementary strategies across private equity, secondaries and credit, for which we have secured commitments in excess of €200 billion from some of the world’s leading institutional investors across its private equity, credit and secondaries strategies. Funds managed or advised by CVC are invested in over 125 companies worldwide, which have combined annual sales of approximately €130 billion and employ more than 450,000 people.

For further information about CVC please visit: www.cvc.com.

Wind farm
14 August 2023  |  Frankfurt

DIF’s portfolio company ruhrfibre signs EUR 120m senior debt financing

DIF Capital Partners (via its DIF CIF III fund) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company ruhrfibre has closed on a senior debt financing in support of the buildout of a large-scale fibre network in Essen (Germany), targeting around 150,000 households.

DIF announced its investment in ruhrfibre in November 2022, alongside project developer metrofibre and the City of Essen. The project is a game changer to the city in the industrial Ruhr-area in terms of its economic advancement and will accelerate Essen’s development into a smart city.

The financing package comprises senior loans totalling EUR 120m that are provided by a club of senior lenders comprising ING, Kommunalkredit Austria and SEB. There is a further uncommitted accordion facility of EUR 40m to expand the financing. The facilities are structured as a green loan with a dedicated green use of proceed for the financing of climate friendly broadband technology, and as such underpin DIF’s strong commitment to promote sustainable infrastructure.

The successful financing provides further momentum to ruhrfibre’s significant progress in bringing fibre to Essen: In June, ruhrfibre started the construction work in the first two roll-out areas in Essen. “With full financing, the project is now significantly picking up speed”, says Christopher Rautenberg, Managing Director at metrofibre and ruhrfibre. “New roll-out areas will follow in the next few months to meet our goal of connecting 150,000 households, businesses, and public institutions to the fiber-optic network.”  DIF and ruhrfibre were advised by ING, Hogan Lovells, Arthur D. Little and Riskbridge. The lenders were advised by White & Case.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is an independent infrastructure fund manager, with ca. EUR 17 billion of AUM. DIF was founded in 2005 and has built a leading position in managing mid-market investments, primarily in Europe, North America and Australia.

DIF follows two strategies: its traditional DIF funds invest in lower risk mid-sized infrastructure projects and companies in the energy transition (incl. renewables) and utilities sector, as well as PPPs and concessions. The firm’s CIF funds invest in small to mid-sized companies that will thrive in the new economy. These companies are typically active in the digital, energy transition and sustainable transportation sector.

With a team of over 225 professionals in 11 offices, DIF Capital Partners offers a unique market approach combining global presence with the benefits of strong local networks and investment capabilities. DIF is located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto.

For more information, please visit www.dif.eu

Contact DIF Capital Partners: press@dif.eu