Morning all, Craig McGlashan here with the Europe Wire from the London newsroom.
We’re taking a deep dive into the world of data centers this morning. Triton Partners’ Michael Gahleitner walks us through the firm’s sale of FläktGroup – an energy-efficient indoor-air technology provider that includes data centers among its clients – and what it shows about the robust demand for digital infrastructure as business adopt and adapt to generative AI.
Sticking with exits but moving from chips to pastries, we finish with Charterhouse Capital Partners agreeing to sell Casa Optima, a global player in the artisanal gelato and pastry ingredients market.
Big data
“No conversation happens without talking about AI,” Thoma Bravo founder and managing partner Orlando Bravo told a media breakfast I attended last week (to read about all the other topics covered, including why the firm is big on Europe and Bravo’s views on retail money coming into private equity, check out our coverage here).
It’s a view shared by many in tech investing. But there were some wobbles earlier this year around the value proposition for the infrastructure that underlies these systems.
Triton Partners, however,believes that there is still plenty of opportunity in the data center service provider sector, Michael Gahleitner, managing partner and co-head of industrial technology, told PE Hub’s Irien Joseph. It’s a claim underscored by Triton’s ability to sell FläktGroup – an energy-efficient indoor-air technology provider that it pivoted to servicing data centers – just as the launch of Chinese AI company DeepSeek’s latest model was raising questions over the amount of data center capacity the AI sector would need.
Find out how Triton navigated that tricky backdrop and what it means for future demand in data center services in the premium version of the Wire.
The right recipe
We’ve seen a sprinkling of deals in the artisanal pastry and gelato ingredients sector over the last few years. It’s a sector that’s faced challenges – but also opportunities – after cocoa prices surged in 2024, as PE Hub’s Nina Lindholm investigated in a deep dive into Advent’s portfolio company IRCA, last year.
Cocoa prices are still elevated, and the sector is still drawing investor interest.
Charterhouse Capital Partners has agreed to sell Casa Optima, a global player in the artisanal gelato and pastry ingredients market, to a group of investors led by Terlos.
Details on the sale and Charterhouse's value creation are in the premium version of the Wire.
OK that’s everything from me today. Obey Martin Manayiti is back from parental leave so will take back his usual Tuesday US Wire spot this afternoon and I’ll be back with you again from London tomorrow.
Cheers,
Craig
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