AI boom triggers new wave of data-centre investment across Europe

A surge in AI and cloud computing has triggered a fresh investment wave in European data centres, with KKR and Oak Hill committing almost $2bn to expand GTR’s hyperscale facilities

KKR and Oak Hill Capital, two major U.S private equity investors, have reportedly committed close to $2bn in fresh equity to Global Technical Realty (GTR), signalling sustained investor appetite for Europe’s fast-growing data centre market as demand for AI-ready capacity accelerates.

KKR will invest a further $1.5bn in the platform, while Oak Hill will join as a new shareholder with a commitment of around $400m. The capital will support a major expansion programme targeting both established and emerging European markets, with new greenfield sites and additional capacity now in the pipeline.

Founded in 2020 by data centre entrepreneur Franek Sodzawiczny alongside KKR, GTR has positioned itself as a specialist developer of hyperscale-grade facilities designed for cloud and AI workloads, with a focus on high power densities and flexible designs suited to next-generation compute requirements.

The company is already developing multiple sites and growing its operating team, preparing to scale as cloud and AI deployment place increasing pressure on Europe’s digital infrastructure. Across the region, grid constraints, planning bottlenecks and power availability have become major limiting factors for new capacity, intensifying interest in specialist platforms able to deliver at speed.

For KKR, the investment extends a multi-year global push into digital infrastructure through its Global Infrastructure Strategy, which has deployed tens of billions of dollars into data centres, fibre and wireless assets. Oak Hill’s arrival marks its latest move in digital infrastructure following decades of activity in telecoms and data centre platforms.

READ MORE: ‘Europe tightens grip on strategic space data as dependence on U.S tech comes under scrutiny‘. An Italian space-technology firm has partnered with Bologna-based Cubbit to create a sovereign European cloud infrastructure for Earth-observation data, as concerns mount over the continent’s reliance on U.S technology and the security of critical space information.

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