MAIDENHEAD, 27 July 2021 – Pulsant, the UK’s hybrid cloud specialists, today announced that Antin Infrastructure Partners (“Antin”) has acquired Pulsant from Oak Hill Capital (“Oak Hill”) and Scottish Equity Partners, who have owned Pulsant since 2014. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Pulsant operates a nationwide network of 10 data centres across the UK delivering secure, scalable and resilient cloud, colocation and networking services deployed in standardised or hybrid models. The company is trusted by over 1,000 UK private enterprise and public sector customers to ensure the security, compliance and resilience of business-critical applications.
Antin Infrastructure Partners is a leading private equity firm specialising exclusively in critical infrastructure. The company sees Pulsant, with its nationwide presence, as uniquely well-placed to seize the huge potential for edge computing in the UK and to meet the growing demand for hybrid IT infrastructure. Following completion of the acquisition, Pulsant CEO Rob Coupland and CFO Brad Petzer will work with Pulsant’s experienced management team and Antin, to implement a clear growth strategy underpinned by further investment to continue developing the company’s existing platform and network footprint.
Demand for UK data centre and cloud infrastructure is expected to continue growing significantly in the coming years. This growth is underpinned by fundamental macro trends including increased outsourcing of IT and data infrastructure – particularly among UK regional businesses – and enables more secure and cost-efficient storage and processing of data. These trends have been further accelerated by the pandemic as companies and organizations look to overcome the common barriers to digital transformation by accessing reliable and scalable IT and data infrastructure.
Rob Coupland, Chief Executive Officer at Pulsant, said: “We thank Oakhill Capital and Scottish Equity Partners for their support to date. In partnership with Antin, we now look forward to delivering on the considerable potential we see over the coming years, driven by our cloud and edge capabilities, our regional presence and our ability to deliver customised solutions. The new investment from Antin will help us continue to focus on our core portfolio of colocation and hybrid cloud, while also bringing reliable, scalable and high-capacity coverage to businesses across the whole of the UK through the building of our nationwide edge computing platform.”
Simon Söder, Partner at Antin Infrastructure Partners, said: “The pandemic has further reinforced the importance of reliable and flexible infrastructure for connectivity, storage and processing of data given the prevalence of remote working and as more businesses shift to cloud-based solutions. Through its network of regional data centres, Pulsant is uniquely placed to support businesses across the UK with high quality flexible data centre and cloud infrastructure solutions.”
Mark Crosbie, Managing Partner of Antin Infrastructure Partners, added: “We are delighted to support Pulsant’s management team in the next stage of the company’s development. Rob and Brad have a combined wealth of leadership expertise in the data centre and cloud markets and we look forward to supporting Pulsant with further capital to enable it to meet the growing demand for its offering.”
Pulsant was advised by Jefferies International Limited (financial adviser) and Ropes & Gray LLP (legal counsel).
Antin Infrastructure Partners was advised by RBC Capital Markets and Greenhill & Co International LLP (financial advisers), Goodwin Procter (UK) LLP (legal counsel) and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP (financing legal counsel).
About Pulsant
Pulsant are the UK’s hybrid cloud specialists, providing cloud, colocation and networking services to help organisations reach their digital goals.
Pulsant connects organisations to a secure, scalable IT infrastructure and the UK’s digital edge through a national network of data centres and cloud platforms to navigate continuous digital disruption and accelerate growth. The business provides a comprehensive portfolio of services deployed in standardised or hybrid models whilst ensuring the security, compliance and resilience of business-critical applications.
Established in 1995, Pulsant has over 25 years’ of experience working with organisations to achieve their digital goals across the private and public sector. Pulsant also has a number of accreditations including ISO27001.
About Antin Infrastructure Partners
Antin Infrastructure Partners is a leading independent private equity firm focused on infrastructure investments. Based in Paris, London and New York, and fully owned by its 20 partners, the firm employs over 135 professionals.
Antin targets majority stakes in infrastructure businesses in the energy and environment, telecom, transport and social infrastructure sectors. Since its founding, Antin has raised approximately €17 billion in commitments from its global fund investor base and has made investments in 28 companies