CVC DIF acquires majority stake in firstcolo to support the development of a scalable high-performance data centre platform in Germany

• CVC DIF, the infrastructure business of global private markets manager CVC, has agreed to acquire a significant majority stake in firstcolo from CUBE Infrastructure.
• FRA7 in Rosbach provides an important foundation for the continued development of firstcolo's scalable, AI-ready and energy-efficient high-performance data centre platform.
• The FRA7 data centre is designed for up to 24 MW of total capacity, up to 16 MW of IT load and liquid-cooled high-density racks supporting up to 200 kW per rack.
• The founders will remain active members of firstcolo's management team and retain an equity interest in the business.

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany, Aug. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CVC DIF, the infrastructure business of global private markets manager CVC, has agreed to acquire a significant majority stake in firstcolo GmbH. The investment will be made through CVC DIF Value Add IV. CUBE Infrastructure is the seller. Completion of the transaction is expected by the end of September 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

Founded in 2007, firstcolo is an established data centre and digital infrastructure partner in the Frankfurt metropolitan region. The company operates two data centres in the region and serves more than 350 customers with colocation, dedicated hardware, cloud, connectivity and managed services. Its business model combines highly available, certified infrastructure with direct technical support and personal points of contact.

The partnership with CVC DIF provides the foundation for firstcolo to implement its next phase of growth. The initial focus is the FRA7 greenfield project in Rosbach vor der Höhe, within the Frankfurt metropolitan region. The facility will provide up to 24 MW of total capacity, equivalent to up to 16 MW of IT load, and is designed to support demanding artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and cloud workloads.

FRA7 is being planned as an AI-ready data centre from the outset. The infrastructure is designed for liquid-cooled high-density racks supporting up to 200 kW per rack. Advanced liquid cooling, robust power infrastructure, a scalable design and high-performance connectivity will provide the technical foundation for compute-intensive GPU clusters, AI training and inference workloads, as well as other high-performance applications. firstcolo is also targeting a PUE of below 1.2 for the site.

The site, power supply, permits and delivery through a turnkey construction model have already been secured. firstcolo has also entered into a partnership with regional energy provider OVAG, which will secure the site's energy supply and enable the use of data centre waste heat in regional district heating networks.

FRA7 will provide an important foundation for the continued development of firstcolo's high-performance data centre platform. The project is expected to strengthen the company's capabilities in deliverng AI-ready, energy-efficient infrastructure and to inform the development of potential future sites in the Frankfurt region and other attractive German markets. Over time, firstcolo aims to scale its platform in line with customer demand and market opportunities.

Jerome Evans and Nicolaj Kamensek will remain active managers and shareholders of firstcolo in their respective roles as CEO and COO. Together with CFO Dennis Bergfeld and the existing management team, they will lead the company through its next phase of development.  

Jerome Evans, CEO and Co-Founder of firstcolo, commented:
„The partnership with CVC DIF marks an important milestone for firstcolo – and a significant endorsement of what our team has built over recent years. We are proud to have gained a partner in CVC DIF that shares our long-term vision and will support us in delivering it. FRA7 is more than a new data centre: it will strengthen our platform and enhance our ability to support the next generation of AI, cloud and enterprise workloads. Together with CVC DIF, we intend to build on our strong operational foundation, expand our presence in the Frankfurt metropolitan region and pursue further growth opportunities in attractive German markets. Our objective is to develop firstcolo into one of Germany's leading colocation providers – delivering high-performance, reliable and long-term predictable infrastructure from Germany."

Nicolaj Kamensek, COO and Co-Founder of firstcolo, commented:
„Since our foundation, firstcolo has been built on technical excellence, operational reliability and close customer relationships. We will now apply these principles across a significantly larger platform. FRA7 will be delivered as a state-of-the-art, AI-ready data centre supporting up to 200 kW per rack, with advanced liquid cooling, robust power infrastructure, high-performance connectivity and scalable operating processes. The experience gained through the planning, construction and operation of the facility will strengthen our capabilities and inform the development of potential future projects. As we grow, it is essential that we maintain our quality standards, short decision-making paths and the personal technical responsibility our customers value."

Willem Jansonius, Managing Partner at CVC DIF and Head of the CVC DIF Value Add strategy, commented:
"firstcolo represents a rare opportunity to invest in a high-quality, founder-led colocation platform in an attractive and supply-constrained FLAP-D data centre markets. The company combines a resilient, cash-generative existing business with a substantially de-risked expansion project and a differentiated service offering for enterprise customers. We look forward to working with Jerome, Nicolaj, Dennis and the wider firstcolo team to deliver FRA7 and support the company's development into the leading German colocation platform."

Stefan Moosmann, Head of DACH at CVC DIF, commented:
„firstcolo is a strong example of CVC DIF's local-for-local approach in action. The opportunity was sourced through our Frankfurt team's local network and developed in seamless collaboration with our pan-European digital infrastructure team. By combining local market access with deep sector and execution expertise, we were able to develop strong conviction in the business and a clear plan to support its next phase of growth. "

Through the continued development of its platform, firstcolo aims to support sustainable digital value creation for businesses in Germany. The company will focus in particular on requirements arising from artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, sovereign cloud architectures, regulated industries and business-critical enterprise workloads. Energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy, advanced cooling technologies and the integration of waste-heat concepts form central components of its development approach.

For further information, please visit firstcolo.net. 

About firstcolo:  

The firstcolo Group, based in Frankfurt am Main, is one of the leading operators of state-of-the-art data centres. Since its foundation in 2007, the company has been offering bespoke IT infrastructure solutions, ranging from colocation and server systems to cloud solutions. With a guaranteed availability of 99.999 per cent and certifications to ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO 9001:2015, firstcolo sets the highest standards in operational reliability and data protection.

All firstcolo data centre operations are powered by certified renewable electricity. Excellent connectivity and low latency are also ensured by the company's own IP backbone, with a capacity of over 2,000 Gbit/s. Today, more than 350 customers from various sectors place their trust in the team of around 80 experts, who are helping to shape the digital future in a sustainable way through personalised support and innovative strength.

About CVC DIF:

CVC DIF is a leading global mid-market infrastructure equity fund manager.

Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, CVC DIF has c. EUR 23 billion of infrastructure assets under management in energy transition, transport, utilities and digitalisation.

With over 260 people in 12 offices, CVC DIF offers a unique market approach, combining a global presence with the benefits of strong local networks and sector-focused investment capabilities.

CVC DIF forms the infrastructure strategy of leading global private markets manager CVC. This partnership allows CVC DIF to benefit from CVC's global platform, with 29 offices across five continents.

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Press Contact:

firstcolo Group
Boris Mayer
Head of Marketing
E-Mail: [email protected]

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