Australian private equity firm Next Capital has signed an agreement to acquire Fujitsu's Australian data centre business, marking its return to the sector following its 2021 sale of Brisbane-based operator iseek.
The transaction covers a portfolio of five operational data centres across Australia, including facilities in Homebush and Greystanes in New South Wales, Noble Park in Victoria, Eight Mile Plains in Queensland and Malaga in Western Australia. Completion is expected later this year, subject to customary conditions and approvals.
Fujitsu confirmed to W.Media that it had entered into an agreement for Next Capital to acquire the business, and that the five enterprise-grade data centres would form an independent, Australian-managed national data centre platform following completion. The company said it would continue to operate the business as usual until completion.
Speaking to W.Media, Next Capital said the portfolio offered "high-quality, well-located assets with available capacity and significant growth potential," adding that the opportunity required active ownership, investment and commercial execution. The firm declined to disclose investment levels or future capacity targets but said the business would be debt-free at completion and that each site would be assessed individually for expansion opportunities.
Fujitsu said the transaction would allow it to focus investment on technology services and capabilities where customer demand was growing fastest, including modernising critical systems, strengthening cyber resilience, accelerating digital transformation, and supporting sovereign AI, high-performance and quantum computing capabilities. The company said the data centre business would in turn benefit from dedicated ownership, management focus and investment to support its next phase of growth.
Fujitsu added that it would remain a customer of the business following completion, in support of its managed services customers. Customer agreements – including those with government agencies – are expected to transfer to the new company under their existing terms.
The acquisition will also bring organisational changes. Both companies confirmed the existing Fujitsu data centre team will transfer to the new business at completion, with Next Capital saying additional leadership appointments would be announced alongside a new corporate brand. Customers are not expected to experience any immediate operational changes.
Following completion, the business will be established as an independent platform with investment directed towards expanding the facilities and supporting future growth. Next Capital said the business would introduce its own name and identity as it moves to independent operation, with customers informed ahead of the change.
Fujitsu currently lists six Australian data centres on its website, including an additional facility at North Ryde in Sydney. Fujitsu confirmed to W.Media that North Ryde is not part of the transaction and is being managed separately. The company said it was not providing financial guidance on the transaction and was not disclosing the deal's commercial terms.
