The Raxio Group, a pan-African data centre developer and operator, and Meridiam, a global developer, asset and fund manager specialising in sustainable infrastructure and energy transition projects, has announced a partnership to deploy a network of data centres across the African continent.
Under the agreement, Meridiam will invest US$48 million to support the continued deployment of data centres in Africa, where both Raxio and Meridiam already have strong local presence. Meridiam’s investment is made alongside Raxio’s founding equity partner, Roha Group who established Raxio in 2018 and has been funding the company since inception.
With the rise of connectivity on the African continent, Raxio’s facilities are built to boost Digital Transformation, economic growth and job creation, while using state-of-the-art design and technologies to minimise the impact on the environment. From the design phase, equipment choices are adapted to the local environmental and climatic conditions with a view to continuously reduce energy consumption. Raxio is also actively working on connecting its facilities to local renewable generation capabilities such as solar power, in addition to the hydropower sources it is currently using.
Raxio data centres will facilitate Internet traffic to and from content providers locally and make the Internet experience faster, more resilient, and more affordable for all digital users.
Robert Mullins, CEO, Raxio Group said: “We are delighted to welcome Meridiam as our new investment partner in our shared vision. This investment comes at an ideal time, as we have continued our expansion activities by investing in our third facility – in the Democratic Republic of Congo – following our first flagship facility in Uganda and launching the construction of our Ethiopian data centre. It is testament to our strategy of developing an Africa-wide network of local, interconnected facilities, that provide our customers with affordable, state-of-the-art solutions for their IT infrastructure, in a neutral, ‘always on’ environment. Customers are core to the design process to ensure our facilities are efficient, sustainable and cost-effective. With its extensive knowledge in the development of sustainable infrastructure in the region, we are convinced Meridiam is the partner of choice for us to continue our deployment plans and reach our targets.”
Mathieu Peller, COO, Africa, Meridiam, said: “Investing in Raxio’s data centre platform was a natural move for us, as it fits our purpose to delivering sustainable infrastructure that improves the quality of people’s lives. We are excited to contribute to developing Africa’s digital infrastructure, by helping to roll-out energy efficient data centres that will drive the Digital Transformation of the continent and be a catalyst for highly skilled jobs creation, while respecting the local environment.”
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