Terry DavidIseek Communications — and majority stakeholder Amber Infrastructure — recently announced it acquired data center company YourDC. The value of the deal hasn’t been disclosed, but it’s expected to range from AU$50 to AU$100 million (approximately $34 to $67 million). Don Manifold’s corporate advisory firm, Equity & Advisory, helped close the deal.
It’s another feather in the cap for Don Manifold and Equity & Advisory. “Equity & Advisory is South Australia’s preeminent independent corporate advisory firm helping private and family businesses with acquisitions, divestments, restructurings, and capital raisings,” Manifold, the firm’s joint managing director, told online platform Billion Success. “Our leaders have helped deliver more than 200 successful transactions valued in excess of $8 billion for our clients.”
YourDC brings to the table the largest ecosystem of carriers, cloud, and managed services in South Australia. At the time of the deal, it had two data centers located in Adelaide, Australia. This makes it an ideal acquisition for Iseek Communications because it will allow the company to expand further across the country. The expansion boosts the company’s size to seven data centers, providing co-location, cloud, and connectivity services to those throughout Australia, in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, and Northern Queensland.
Tristan Evans, investment director at Amber Infrastructure, stated, “We see strong growth opportunities for Iseek, supported by the industry shift toward outsourced digital infrastructure. This shift is driven by increased demand for data storage, greater data sovereignty, and the need for data protection in regions prone to natural disasters. Iseek is already benefiting from this shift, [and was] recently awarded the Queensland Government’s core network data-as-a-service contract.”
The transaction is notable for many reasons, including that it will allow Iseek Communications to expand its national profile significantly, reaching new customers and growing its assets overall, providing for the ever-increasing need for digital services in the region.
Don Manifold’s work includes aiding in initial public offerings, raising capital, and divestments. His diverse history includes managing the sale of S. Kidman & Co. Don Manifold is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. He holds a Master of Business Administration (executive) from the Australian Graduate School of Management, and a Bachelor of Economics (accounting) with honors.
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More About YourDC
YourDC will continue to be operated by Scott Hicks, co-founder and CEO. He’ll continue to be invested in the growth of the YourDC market. YourDC is the only Tier 3 data center facility with defense-grade security in place in the state, making this acquisition a vital one for Iseek Communications.
YourDC’s Hicks shared, “Our acquisition by Iseek will facilitate our next growth phase, expanding our data center capacity to capitalize on significant market demand and growth opportunities. As founder-led businesses, YourDC and Iseek have multiple synergies with the acquisition, enabling us to offer additional digital and co-location services.”
YourDC was launched in 2015 and grew to manage two data centers located in Adelaide. These two locations, one in the south and the other in the northern part of the city, were connected by a dedicated fiber ring. ADL1 Hawthorn, as the first location is known, offers 6,250 square feet of technical space with a capacity for 220 racks. ADL2 Edinburgh Parks launched a year after ADL1 with 24,550 square feet of technical space, with 20 rooms that offer a capacity for 800 racks.
More About Iseek Communications
Iseek Communications is currently a leading digital infrastructure operator in Australia. It has numerous clients, including various national enterprises and government organizations. The company currently provides data center solutions for the region along with cloud access and connectivity services. As a national company, it is uniquely qualified for most customers because it offers coverage across the region, including in urban areas, rural regions, and more regional areas.
Each of Iseek Communications’ facilities are some of the most secure available, providing physical security at the location and requiring the use of two-factor authentication, 24-hour camera surveillance, and biometric reader access. The company also has various staging areas for equipment setup and disaster recovery. Iseek Communications was first established in 2000.
Another key note about Iseek Communications is its recent efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, in part by working to reduce the amount of power the company uses and minimizing overall energy costs. Jason Gomersall, founder and CEO of Iseek Communications, stated, “Our acquisition of YourDC is game-changing for our growth trajectory. It provides us a large footprint in South Australia, strengthens our national offering, and increases our exposure within the defense and education sectors.”
He continued, “The complementary businesses are market leaders in their respective states with proven track records of delivering secure and reliable critical infrastructure to large-scale government and enterprise customers. Importantly, YourDC’s customer-centric culture aligns with ours, and we are retaining its high-performing team and valuable long-term customer relationships.”
About Amber Infrastructure
Amber Infrastructure provides assessment management and investment advisory services. Its business focuses heavily on sourcing, developing, and advising on infrastructure assets. This includes areas of renewable energy, transport, and utilities. The investment made in Iseek Communications in 2021 was the first time Amber Infrastructure has moved into digital assets for investment in Australia. The terms of that agreement were not disclosed.
Amber Infrastructure is based in London. At the last update, it had $6 billion in assets under management and investments spread across seven funds. It’s played an active role in a variety of transactions in Australia and has done so since 2006.
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