Telecom Archives - DIF Capital Partners

18 April 2024 | Paris

DIF Capital Partners enters into exclusive negotiations to acquire TDF fibre business

DIF Capital Partners, a leading global infrastructure fund manager, has entered into exclusive negotiations with TDF and La Banque des Territoires to acquire the fibre business of the TDF Group, the operator of infrastructure and digital networks.

TDF Fibre is a French fibre business owned by TDF (79.5%) and Banque des Territoires (20.5%). The company owns four public-initiative networks under concession agreements that are all fully operational: Val d’Oise Fibre, Val de Loire Fibre, Anjou Fibre and Faucigny Glières Fibre, and one wholly-owned network: Yvelines Fibre. Its expertise in operating very high-speed networks with quality of service ranks among the best in France according to recent ARCEP studies.

DIF Capital Partners, via its DIF Infrastructure VII fund, is negotiating to invest in TDF Group’s fibre business by acquiring the entire share capital in (i) TDF Fibre and (ii) Lumière Fibre, a newly incorporated vehicle entirely held by TDF and to which TDF is expected to contribute its engineering, maintenance, fibre roll-out and construction services business units. Following the planned transaction, the TDF Group will continue to support TDF Fibre, particularly in terms of network supervision.

The investment being considered by DIF Capital Partners will enable TDF Fibre to continue to bring its recognized expertise to the benefit of local authorities, individuals and businesses, as well as to pursue development opportunities in existing and new territories.

This transaction, which is being negotiated, will require the implementation of the information and consultation process with the relevant French employee representative bodies, and could be completed by the end of 2024, subject to satisfaction of the customary conditions precedent.

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 12 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, Milan, 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.

About TDF

As a transparent and impartial operator, TDF helps digital firms in mainland France and French overseas territories meet their strategic transmission goals. For radio and DTT broadcasting, mobile ultra high-speed broadband coverage and rolling out optical fibre, TDF brings clients in-depth operational expertise, a mix of unique and ground-breaking technology and an exceptionally widespread local presence. In an ever more connected world, over the last four decades or more TDF has enabled telecoms and media companies to connect the French regions and people, backed by its 8,600 sites, everywhere and faster. www.tdf.fr

About Banque des Territoires

Banque des Territoires is one of the entities of the Caisse des Dépôts. Banque des Territoires brings together in-house expertise for local areas. As a one-stop shop for customers, it acts alongside all local stakeholders: local authorities, local public-sector enterprises, social housing bodies, legal professions, businesses and financial players. Banque des Territoires assists them in the implementation of their public interest projects with a continuum of offers : advisory, loans, equity, bank services, consignments and special deposits. It has been set up to serve the interests of all local areas alike, from rural municipalities to large cities, with the ambition of maximizing its impact notably on ecological transformation and social and regional cohesion. The 37 territorial offices of Banque des Territoires ensure the implementation of its action across all metropolitan and overseas territories. www.banquedesterritoires.fr

Press contacts:

DIF Capital Partners: press@dif.eu

TDF: Pauline Mauger. Tel.: 07 70 01 18 27 – pauline.mauger@tdf.fr

Banque des Territoires – Groupe Caisse des Dépôts: Nathalie Police. Tel.: 06 07 58 65 19 – nathalie.police@caissedesdepots.fr

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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

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 contact:

DIF Capital Partners: press@dif.eu

DIF Capital Partners raises EUR 6.8 billion

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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

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18 July 2023 | Helsinki

DIF Capital Partners leads €250 million+ funding round to expand Valoo’s Finnish fibre rollout

Investment will bring fibre connectivity to 300,000 Finnish households

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce that it is leading a debt and equity funding round worth in excess of €250 million for Valoo (Adola Oy), which will help it expand its optical fibre rollout to underserved regions and municipalities in Finland. DIF’s equity investment is made through its CIF III fund. The funding is a follow-up to the initial investment made by DIF’s CIF I fund which supported the first part of the growth trajectory of the company.

While DIF acts as the lead investor, the funding round is also backed by Tesi (Finnish Industry Investment Ltd) and other investors. Senior debt has been provided by a banking group of SEB, NORD/LB and NIBC.

The funding will allow delivery of long-awaited high-speed fibre connectivity to areas that to date have had to rely mainly on mobile connectivity for internet access. The package will bring fibre to over 300,000 households and secure close to 1,000 jobs within the company and the wider market.

Valoo builds and operates fibre-optic networks across Finland. It does not charge customers for the construction of network connections to their homes, instead basing its business model on long-term customer relationships to provide internet services.

Valoo is set to continue its evolution into Finland’s leading platform for fibre connectivity, thanks to its expanding footprint and a strong national brand. The investment will also help to create the conditions for a future wholesale fibre access market in Finland, strengthening consumer choice. This will allow multiple operators to connect to their consumers through a single infrastructure.

DIF Capital Partners is an independent global infrastructure fund manager and a leading investor in optical fibre rollouts, having funded major projects in Canada, Germany, France, the UK and the USA among others.

“Our follow-up investment in Valoo enables it to connect a much larger number of underserved areas in Finland to fibre broadband infrastructure,” says Willem Jansonius, Partner and Head of CIF Investments at DIF Capital Partners.

“Finnish households have long struggled to access state-of-the-art broadband connectivity, especially outside of major urban areas. That shortfall was highlighted during the lockdowns of the Covid-19 pandemic. This investment will provide a significant improvement to those people’s and communities’ ability to work and participate in the global digital economy.”

“DIF’s investment in Valoo further underscores our position as a major investor in the Finnish market and our continued focus on digital infrastructure across Europe and North America. It’s also a vote of confidence in the successful transformation of Valoo’s business over recent years.”

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is an independent infrastructure fund manager, with ca. EUR 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 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

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22 November 2022 | London

DIF strengthens digital infrastructure team with two senior hires

DIF Capital Partners has expanded the European team to support its growth and ambitions in the digital infrastructure space. Digital assets are one of the key focus areas of DIF’s CIF fund strategy, headed by Willem Jansonius.

On 1 November, Simon Rozas started as Head of European Digital Infrastructure based in London. Simon will be supported by Jan Angenendt, who joined DIF as a Director in Frankfurt in October.

Simon will lead the origination and investments in digital infrastructure across Europe. Previously, he worked at Cube Infrastructure Managers, where he led greenfield fiber projects across Europe for the Connecting Europe Broadband Fund. Simon’s career includes over two decades of experience in investing, lending and investment banking at the EBRD, Citigroup and HSBC. He started his studies in Vilnius University and holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Economics and Finance from Brandeis University in Massachusetts.

Jan joined DIF from InfraRed Capital Partners, where he covered origination in the DACH region, including digital infrastructure projects. Prior to that, Jan worked as a senior associate for KPMG Corporate Finance, as a policy advisor at HM Treasury and as a UK government economist. He holds Master’s degrees in Economics from the University of Warwick and the Free University of Berlin.

Willem Jansonius, partner and Head of CIF at DIF Capital Partners says: “I’m delighted with the appointment of Simon and Jan. This further boosts the strength of our digital infrastructure team in Europe, which is an area where DIF is quickly expanding its footprint and sees ample room for growth. I am looking forward to working closely together with our new team members and am confident that our investors and the companies we invest in will benefit from the team’s enhanced capabilities.”

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is an independent infrastructure fund manager, with more than EUR 15 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.

With a team of over 200 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: Diederik Heinink, d.heinink@dif.eu

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6 September 2022 | Schiphol

Willem Jansonius in Mid Market Roundtable | Infrastructure Investor September 2022

The magic of the mid-market.

In the 2022 edition of the Infrastructure Investor Mid Market Roundtable DIF’s Head of CIF Willem Jansonius explains why the mid market is such an interesting part of the infrastructure space, continuing to offer highly attractive investment opportunities for the DIF strategies.

To read the complete article, please open Willem Jansonius in Mid Market Roundtable (September 2022)

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10 August 2022 | New York

DIF CIF II portfolio company Joink has signed an agreement to acquire CTI

DIF Capital Partners is pleased to announce that its DIF CIF II portfolio company Joink, LLC, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of Computer Techniques, Inc. (CTI). This acquisition will provide additional management and capital resources to support the current CTI team and significantly increase the speed of CTI’s fiber-to-the-home deployment in Central Illinois. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval.

CTI co-founders Adam Vocks and Billy Williams founded the company in 1998. Over the years the company has transformed from a computer sales and service business into a facilities-based provider that now exclusively services its connectivity customers with fiber optics. The CTI network passes over 12,000 homes across Christian County and Montgomery County, supported by staff from its offices in Taylorville and Hillsboro in Illinois. CTI provides internet, voice, and video to residential customers and internet, voice, and private transport data solutions to business customers.

“We are very pleased to see Joink executing on the growth plan and adding new markets in Illinois, through the acquisition of CTI,” stated Willem Jansonius, Partner and Head of Investments for the DIF CIF strategy. “The strategic rationale of the CTI acquisition is fully aligned with our fiber-to-the-home roll out strategy to ensure that the residents in Indiana and Illinois have reliable high-speed internet access. This highly complementary acquisition by Joink will allow it to serve customers better and continue to further bridge the digital divide.”

“We look forward to integrating CTI’s operations and team led by Bobbie Dean, CTI’s CEO, who will be part of the senior leadership team of Joink, after the transaction closes. Central Illinois had a great day today as we announce our plans to accelerate the expansion of CTI’s fiber network.” stated Josh Zuerner, President and CEO of Joink. “We recognize the importance of high-quality broadband and look forward to providing a best-in-class fiber-optic connectivity experience to end users in Illinois and Indiana.”

Pinpoint Capital Advisors served as financial advisor to CTI. Agentis Capital served as financial advisor to Joink and DIF.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent investment manager, with ca. EUR 14 billion in assets under management across eleven closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in infrastructure companies and assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Australia through two complementary strategies:

Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure VI is the latest vintage, target core infrastructure equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and energy transition projects (incl. renewable energy).
DIF CIF funds, of which DIF CIF III is the latest vintage, target equity investments in small to mid-sized core-plus infrastructure companies in the telecom, energy transition, and transportation sectors.

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 190 professionals, based in eleven offices 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: Thijs Verburg, t.verburg@dif.eu.

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19 May 2022 | Paris

DIF Capital Partners to sell French fibre company ADTIM

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce that DIF Core Infrastructure Fund I (“CIF I”) signed an agreement to sell its 55% ownership stake in ADTIM SAS (“ADTIM”), a French fibre company, to HICL Infrastructure PLC (“HICL”), the listed core infrastructure fund managed by InfraRed Capital Partners. This will be the first exit for CIF I.

ADTIM operates an independent wholesale broadband network that focuses on low-density areas in the Ardèche and Drôme departments. ADTIM was awarded two complementary concession contracts by the public local authority Syndicat mixte ADN, under the French PIN (Public Initiative Networks) scheme. The company operates two infrastructure networks providing broadband access to telecom operators serving both residential and business retail markets.

During DIF’s ownership, ADTIM has realised over 100,000 new rolled-out connections in the low density household areas of the Drôme and Ardèche departments, and established a very robust BtB platform with over 2,000 enterprises served by the ADTIM network. It has maintained its network to a high standard with an overall availability of its network reaching over 99%. DIF has exercised its oversight authority effectively as majority shareholder of ADTIM to ensure that ADTIM complies responsibly with its concession agreements with ADN as well as to its clients and end users.

Andrew Freeman, Head of Exits, said “This is the first exit for CIF I, an important milestone for our CIF strategy. Benefitting from the strong momentum in the European fibre market, this exit is expected to yield attractive returns to our CIF I investors. We believe InfraRed is an excellent counterparty and is very well placed to manage the company going forward.”

DIF was advised on the transaction by DC Advisory (financial), Orrick (legal), Analysys Mason (commercial), KPMG and Denjean & Associés (tax & accounting), Currie & Brown (technical), as well as Marsh (insurance).

Closing of the transaction is subject to the receipt of customary approvals and consents.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent investment manager, with ca. EUR 11 billion in assets under management across ten closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in infrastructure companies and assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Australia through two complementary strategies:

DIF CIF funds, of which DIF CIF III is the latest vintage, target equity investments in small to mid-sized core-plus infrastructure companies in the telecom, energy transition, and transportation sectors.
Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure VI is the latest vintage, target core infrastructure equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and energy transition projects (incl. renewable energy).

Contact: Thijs Verburg, t.verburg@dif.eu.

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4 May 2022 | New York

DIF Capital Partners makes strategic investment in US wireless digital infrastructure platform Airtower Networks

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) and Airtower Networks (“Airtower”), a leading developer, owner, and operator of wireless digital infrastructure, are pleased to announce that they have reached agreement for DIF to be Airtower’s growth capital partner and support the management team in achieving its strategic vision in building a nation-wide platform. This transaction will be the first investment in the DIF CIF III fund.

DIF is a leading global independent fund manager that invests in a broad range of greenfield and operational infrastructure companies and assets worldwide. The investment will enable Airtower to rapidly expand its cutting-edge wireless network solutions to customers.

Airtower designs, builds, owns, and operates a full suite of network solutions and managed services that enable in-building wireless and smart building connectivity. The timing of this investment coincides with the increasing market demand for high-quality wireless service within the vast number of buildings that require improved coverage and capacity. Airtower’s vision is to become the nation’s largest in-building neutral host 5G and wireless network provider. The company will achieve this by delivering innovative solutions that help building owners, property developers, enterprises, and mobile network operators manage their wireless infrastructure investments, while also helping them to produce an attractive return on their investment. With clients ranging from the largest commercial real estate developers to the most technologically advanced government and private organizations, Airtower consistently provides leading edge customized solutions to meet each client’s wireless needs.

“DIF believes that the ongoing trend of cloud migration, where companies store their data and interact with their customers, vendors, and partners in the cloud, will further increase the need for high-speed wireless internet connections. Similarly in the residential and office space, ubiquitous 5G is essential for the new generation of smart buildings. DIF is excited to partner with a well-established in-building wireless company such as Airtower and its experienced management team” said Willem Jansonius, Partner and Head of Investments for the DIF CIF strategy.

“Airtower has experienced record-breaking growth over the past couple of years in terms of revenue, new bookings, networks deployed, and profitability. DIF is a world class infrastructure investment fund manager, and we’ve greatly enjoyed getting to know the DIF team. We are looking forward to partnering with DIF to continue scaling the business” said Oliver Valente, Airtower’s Chief Executive Officer.

“We’re excited about the injection of investment capital and sector expertise provided by DIF. The additional resources and broad support will give Airtower the capability to rapidly scale the success we’ve had providing innovative wireless and smart building solutions for commercial real estate and cellular carriers” said Manny Dureja, Airtower’s Founder and President.

Greenhill & Co served as financial advisor and DLA Piper acted as legal counsel to Airtower. Bank Street Group served as exclusive financial advisor and White & Case acted as legal counsel to DIF.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent investment manager, with ca. EUR 10 billion in assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in infrastructure companies and assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Australia through two complementary strategies:

DIF CIF funds, of which DIF CIF II is the latest vintage, target equity investments in small to mid-sized core-plus infrastructure companies in the telecom, energy transition, and transportation sectors.
Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure VI is the latest vintage, target core infrastructure equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and energy transition projects (incl. renewable energy).

Contact: Thijs Verburg, t.verburg@dif.eu.

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11 November 2021 | Schiphol

DIF Capital Partners closes its ESG equity bridge facility

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce that it has increased its equity bridge facility with ESG linked performance criteria to EUR 900 million. The facility was closed by DIF Infrastructure VI (“DIF VI”) and is provided by a club of banks comprising ABN AMRO, Rabobank, BMO, CIBC, ING Bank and CBA, with ABN AMRO acting as agent.

This is DIF’s first ESG equity bridge facility, evidencing the company’s desire to positively contribute to a sustainable future for the environment and society in general. The facility contains a set of ESG KPIs related to the ESG performance of DIF as a manager and the ESG performance improvement of the underlying portfolio on key ESG areas such as safety, environment, climate resilience and community, including third party assurance.

In return, DIF VI benefits from a reduction in margin on the facility upon meeting those KPIs, reflecting the lenders’ own ESG support and commitment to a sustainable future.

“We are delighted to be working again with our long term partners ABN AMRO, Rabobank, BMO, CIBC, ING Bank and CBA in relation to this very innovative facility with clearly described ESG KPIs. This closing confirms and strengthens DIF’s position as leader in the ESG space within the private equity community and we continue to be committed to deliver a positive contribution to a sustainable future” said Robert Doekes, CFO at DIF Capital Partners.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent fund manager, with more than €9.0 billion in assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure Fund VI is the latest vintage, target equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and (renewable) energy projects.
DIF CIF funds, of which DIF CIF II is the latest vintage, target equity investments in small to mid-sized economic infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy, and transportation sectors.

DIF supports the goal of Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in-line with global efforts as a result of the Paris Agreement to have net zero emissions by 2050, or sooner.

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 170 professionals, based in ten offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney, and Toronto. For more information please visit www.dif.eu.

Contact:
Allard Ruijs, IR & BD
Email: a.ruijs@dif.eu

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9 November 2021 | New York

DIF Capital Partners to invest in US fiber platform Joink

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”), via DIF CIF II (the “Fund”), is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement with Joink, LLC (“Joink” or the “Company”) to be its growth capital partner, opening the door to significantly more investment and growth. Joink is a telecommunications infrastructure company that currently provides enterprise fiber, residential fiber, and fixed wireless services in Western Indiana and Eastern Illinois. Subject to regulatory approval, the partnership with DIF will allow Joink to expand its fiber optic network to residential and enterprise customers at a much faster pace.

Joink started providing internet service to residents and businesses in Eastern Illinois and Western Indiana in 2001 using fixed wireless. Since 2014, the Company has expanded to serve thousands of end users in West Central Indiana with fiber, including priority infrastructure for education, healthcare, enterprise, and other telecommunications carriers. It has always been Joink’s intention to further extend its fiber to the single-family home and multi-dwelling unit offerings. Joink currently has 88 employees and growing.

“DIF believes the future fiber-to-the-home roll out is critical to ensure that residents in Indiana and Illinois have reliable high-speed internet access through Joink’s fiber network. DIF is excited to partner with a well-established fiber and fixed wireless company such as Joink and its experienced management team. Joink’s approach to investing in residential fiber infrastructure fits DIF’s ambition to invest in the US fiber industry. In addition to creating local jobs, this investment helps bridge the digital divide in online education, remote employment opportunities, telemedicine and other prospects afforded by broadband access” said Willem Jansonius, Partner and Head of Investments for the DIF CIF strategy.

“We are grateful for the support in growing our business from our team members and their families, our customers, vendors, long-term investors and financing partners, permitting authorities, state and local government, and the communities in which we live and work,” says Josh Zuerner, Joink President and CEO. “That support has enabled us to attract the investment from DIF – a world-class infrastructure investment fund. We don’t take the trust we’ve gained over the last twenty years for granted and will continue to build upon it by showcasing our unwavering commitment to high-quality Internet access.”

While DIF is investing in Joink, all existing investors will continue to remain invested in the Company. Hank Stephens, one of the earliest investors in Joink, notes, “When Brian Wick and I decided over 20 years ago to invest in a startup company in Terre Haute called Joink, we were excited about the potential Joink had to provide Internet service to people with limited or no options. As we look back today, I don’t think either of us could have envisioned the tremendous impact that Joink would ultimately have on the residents and businesses of West Central Indiana. We are grateful to the Joink employees as well as our fellow investors who have helped get Joink to where it is today and are excited about this new partnership and opportunity to expand further.”

Cowen and Company served as financial advisor to Joink. Agentis Capital served as financial advisor to DIF.

About Joink

Joink is Midwest’s leading providers of wireless Internet service in rural markets in Indiana and Illinois. Joink has installed over 540 miles of fiber in the five-county area and offers service to enterprise, commercial, carrier, and residential customers. Joink’s main fiber network ring connects Vigo, Vermillion, Parke, and Clay County. It also has fiber-optic assets throughout Sullivan County. Joink operates over 100 fixed-wireless transmit points. Building and maintaining a large network requires tremendous knowledge and expertise, and customers grew to recognize and count on that expertise. As a result, they increasingly leaned on Joink to assist them when faced with technology challenges. Joink addresses these challenges through its Hosting, Technology Services, and Managed Services divisions. Last year, the State of Indiana awarded seven Indiana Next Level Connects Projects to Joink. Additionally, Vigo County Government and the City of Terre Haute supported the Vigo County School Corporation in extending Joink’s network to 84 community access locations. More info: http://www.joink.com

About DIF Capital Partners

Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure Fund VI is the latest vintage, target equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and (renewable) energy projects.
DIF CIF funds, of which DIF CIF II is the latest vintage, target equity investments in small to mid-sized economic infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy, and transportation sectors.

DIF supports the goal of Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in-line with global efforts as a result of the Paris Agreement to have net zero emissions by 2050, or sooner.

Contact:
Allard Ruijs, IR & BD
Email: a.ruijs@dif.eu