Capital Commitments and Transaction Structure
KKR has committed an additional $1.5 billion to Global Technical Realty (GTR), a European built-to-suit data center platform. The investment was announced Wednesday. Private equity firm Oak Hill Capital will join the platform as a new investor with a $400 million commitment.
The transaction increases available capital for GTR as demand for hyperscale and AI-ready data center infrastructure continues to expand across European markets.
Platform Background and Market Positioning
Established in 2020, GTR was founded by data center entrepreneur Franek Sodzawiczny in partnership with KKR. Since inception, the platform has focused on purpose-built facilities across both core and emerging European data center markets. Its portfolio targets hyperscale customers, cloud service providers, and enterprises deploying AI-driven and high-performance computing applications.
GTR’s model emphasizes customized design, scalability, and power efficiency. These attributes have gained importance as European operators face tightening power availability, regulatory scrutiny, and accelerated infrastructure timelines linked to AI adoption.
Use of Proceeds and Expansion Plans
The newly committed capital will fund GTR’s active development pipeline. Planned uses include greenfield developments, campus expansions, and entry into additional European jurisdictions. Market expansion remains selective, with a focus on regions demonstrating grid capacity, policy alignment, and sustained hyperscale demand.
Industry participants note that AI workloads continue to reshape capacity planning assumptions. Facilities increasingly require higher rack densities, advanced cooling systems, and resilient power architectures, particularly across Northern and Western Europe.
Executive Commentary
“As rapid cloud growth continues and scaled AI demand begins to materialize, the need for high-quality, power-efficient, and scalable data center infrastructure in Europe has never been greater,” said Andrew Peisch, Partner at KKR.
Franek Sodzawiczny, CEO and Founder of GTR, described the investment as “a major inflection point” that will allow the company to expand its team, strengthen operational capabilities, and accelerate market entry.
Investor Strategy and Portfolio Context
KKR is financing the investment primarily through its Global Infrastructure Strategy. The firm has committed approximately $34 billion in equity to digital infrastructure globally across 24 investments. These include five data center platforms spanning North America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.
According to company disclosures, KKR’s data center portfolio encompasses more than 155 operational facilities, supported by a development pipeline totaling approximately 12 gigawatts of capacity. The firm’s European exposure reflects broader investor interest in regions balancing digital growth with evolving energy and sustainability requirements.
Oak Hill Capital brings more than three decades of experience in digital infrastructure investing. The GTR transaction represents its fourth platform-level investment in the data center sector, reinforcing its focus on long-term infrastructure assets with predictable demand drivers.
European Market Dynamics
The announcement comes amid sustained growth in European demand for next-generation data center infrastructure. Cloud adoption continues to expand across enterprises and public sector users, while AI deployments are increasing compute intensity across workloads. These trends are driving demand for facilities capable of supporting high-performance computing environments at scale.
Constraints related to power access, land availability, and permitting remain key challenges in several European metros. As a result, investors and developers are prioritizing platforms with execution capabilities across multiple jurisdictions.
Related Portfolio Developments
Separately, Sapporo Holdings has announced plans to divest its real estate business to private equity firms KKR and PAG. The transaction, valued at approximately 477 billion yen, or about $3 billion, will be completed in stages over three years. An initial 51% stake in Sapporo Real Estate is expected to close on June 1, 2026, covering assets in Tokyo and Sapporo, including the Yebisu Garden Place property.
In another transaction, KKR has agreed to sell a substantial minority stake in Viridor Group to Equitix. While financial terms were not disclosed, the deal could raise Equitix’s ownership in Viridor’s Energy division to as much as 50%.
Together, these transactions highlight continued portfolio repositioning among global private equity firms as they balance capital deployment across digital infrastructure, real assets, and energy-linked platforms.
