EdgeConneX and Aboitiz InfraCapital Form Joint Venture to Address Enormous Data Usage Growth in Philippines

 The JV will develop and operate data centers throughout the Philippines leveraging complementary expertise and capabilities 

HERNDON, Va., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EdgeConneX^®, the pioneer in global Hyperlocal to Hyperscale Data Center Solutions, announces the formation of a joint venture with Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC), the infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz Group, one of the Philippines' leading conglomerates, to address considerable and rising data usage in the Philippines. The joint venture will leverage Aboitiz' century-long local market expertise and its groupwide land and power assets with EdgeConneX' global data center platform, build, and operational capabilities.

The exclusive partnership focuses on building a network of hyperscale data centers across the Philippines. The first two data centers focus on the Manila metro area, with a connectivity-focused facility adjacent to the local internet exchange (IX) and a secondary hyperscale campus facility also located in the greater Manila area. The partnership will look to tap AIC's land bank of 1,400 hectares of prime industrial real estate and AboitizPower's diversified renewable energy capacity, which the company aims to triple by 2030.

"There is great excitement about the partnership and the incredible market opportunity the partnership enables," commented Cosette V. Canilao, Aboitiz InfraCapital President and CEO. "The Philippines is underserved and seeing high domestic data demand growth relative to Southeast Asia. Our market size, favorable demographics, and proliferation of subsea cables make the Philippines an ideal destination for data center investments. We also have access to prime real estate in both city centers, such as Manila, as well as emerging economic hubs like Batangas. We're thrilled to have a premier global data center partner in EdgeConneX."

"In AIC, we have the ideal partner in the Philippines," said Randy Brouckman, CEO of EdgeConneX. "They possess the local assets and expertise required to build out critical digital infrastructure that can best support our customers across the entire country. We look forward to investing in the digital economy of the Philippines and meeting our customers' needs throughout the region. They complement our capabilities required to successfully capture this market opportunity."

"Asia is a major focus area of investment and growth for EQT and EdgeConneX," stated Jan Vesely, Partner at EQT Partners. "The data usage in Asia is expected to grow exponentially over the coming years, meaning that the underlying digital infrastructure must scale-up to meet increasing demand, thus creating compelling opportunities for investments. Whether through M&A or joint ventures such as this one with Aboitiz, we look to continue steadily building out the EdgeConneX global platform in Asia in collaboration with leading local partners."

"The Philippines has consistently flown under the radar until just the last few years," stated Jabez Tan, Head of Research, Structure Research. "The conditions are ripe for colocation providers to jump in and win business. In the last 12-18 months, data center operators, real estate developers, and investors have circled the market in anticipation of the expected demand. And the underdeveloped competitive landscape leaves the door open for tremendous opportunities and long-term growth potential."

For more information, please visit www.edgeconnex.com.

Backed by EQT Infrastructure, part of the global investment organization EQT, EdgeConneX provides a full range of sustainable data center solutions worldwide. We work closely with our customers to offer choices in location, scale and type of facility, from Hyperlocal to Hyperscale. EdgeConneX is a global leader in anytime, anywhere, and any scale data center services for a diverse portfolio of industries, including Content, Cloud, Networks, Gaming, Automotive, SaaS, IoT, HPC, Security, and more. With a mission predicated on taking care of our customers, our people, and our planet, EdgeConneX strives to Empower Your Edge. For more information, please visit edgeconnex.com.

SOURCE EdgeConneX