Seller Details:
Columbia Threadneedle Investments (“Columbia Threadneedle”) is the global asset management subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial and a leading active investment manager serving institutional and retail clients worldwide. Columbia Threadneedle has approximately €577 billion in AUM and is supported by a global team of investment professionals and research specialists, offering a broad range of active investment strategies across equities, fixed income, multi-asset, and alternatives.
Buyer Details:
3i Infrastructure is a leading mid-market infrastructure investor and a wholly owned subsidiary of 3i Group. The firm manages approximately €8 billion of assets on behalf of investors and focuses on core-plus infrastructure opportunities across developed markets, primarily in Europe. Its strategy targets essential infrastructure businesses with resilient cash flows and strong growth potential, including sectors such as energy transition, digital infrastructure, and utilities.
Transaction Summary:
3i Infrastructure has agreed to acquire the portfolio investments of a fund of Columbia Threadneedle, including Columbia Threadneedle’s majority stake in Lefdal Mine Datacenter, a high-quality Norwegian datacentre campus. A small portfolio of operating renewable assets is also being acquired as part of this transaction.
The transaction provides an opportunity for 3i to diversify its portfolio into new subsectors, whilst acquiring a highly attractive asset with capacity for growth and expansion in the shape of Lefdal Mine Datacenter. The transaction allowed Columbia Threadneedle to provide liquidity for its’ fund investor base. 3i provided the investors of the fund the option to cash out or roll their investment into a continuation vehicle with 3i, which was well-received by the investor base. The largest investor in that fund will be reinvesting alongside 3i Infrastructure.