Macquarie Group has committed an undisclosed equity stake in SCT GmbH, a Berlin-based data center startup, marking its latest move in Europe’s growing digital infrastructure sector. The investment underscores rising confidence in decentralized data infrastructure as AI demand surges across the continent.
- Macquarie Group invested in SCT GmbH, a Berlin-based data center startup, with an undisclosed equity stake.
- SCT operates 3 facilities in Germany with 28 MW of power capacity and 8,500 sqm of space.
- SCT plans a 15 MW data center in Frankfurt with completion by Q2 2027.
- Europe’s data center power demand to grow over 15% annually through 2030.
- Macquarie’s investment supports broader strategy in European digital infrastructure.
- DIA.DE and MQG.AX are key market indicators for European data center REITs and infrastructure funds.
Macquarie Group has entered a strategic partnership with SCT GmbH, a privately held German data center developer headquartered in Berlin, signaling a concentrated bet on Europe’s evolving digital infrastructure landscape. While the exact financial terms remain undisclosed, the transaction represents a pivotal step for the Australian infrastructure giant, which has been expanding its European real estate portfolio amid rising demand for AI-ready data facilities. The investment comes as major tech firms and hyperscalers accelerate deployment of AI models across Europe, driving a surge in data center capacity needs. According to industry benchmarks, Europe’s data center power demand is projected to grow by over 15% annually through 2030, with Germany emerging as a key hub due to favorable grid access, skilled labor, and stable regulatory frameworks. SCT GmbH, founded in 2021, operates three colocation facilities in Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich, with a combined 28 megawatts (MW) of power capacity and 8,500 square meters of floor space. Macquarie’s involvement is expected to unlock additional development financing and accelerate SCT’s expansion plans, including a planned 15 MW data center in Frankfurt scheduled for completion by Q2 2027. The move also strengthens Macquarie’s European infrastructure footprint, which includes stakes in REITs such as DIA.DE and operates under its Global Infrastructure Fund. The investment may serve as a catalyst for similar bets on mid-tier data center operators across Germany and neighboring markets. Market participants are noting the strategic implications: the addition of a major institutional investor like Macquarie lends credibility to smaller, agile data center developers, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape. As AI workloads migrate to on-premise and edge infrastructure, investors are increasingly prioritizing regional scalability, energy efficiency, and grid resilience—factors central to SCT’s development model.