Data Center Firm AirTrunk Mulls IPO at A$10 Billion Value: AFR

Alfred Liu and David Stringer, Bloomberg News

Lights illuminate power connector cables inside a 'mining rig' computer, used to mine the Electroneum cryptocurrency, in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. Cryptocurrencies are not living up to their comparisons with gold as a store of value, tumbling Monday as an equities sell-off in Asia extended the biggest rout in global stocks in two years. Photographer: Akos Stiller/Bloomberg , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Data center operator AirTrunk is considering an initial public offering that would give the company an enterprise value of more than A$10 billion ($6.4 billion), the Australian Financial Review reported.

AirTrunk investors Macquarie Asset Management and PSP Investments sent a request for proposals to seven banks earlier this month for a review that will examine an IPO in Australia and options including the sale of a minority stake in the business, according to the newspaper.

Representatives for AirTrunk, Macquarie and PSP didn’t immediately respond to Bloomberg News requests for comment.

Macquarie Capital and at least two other banks will be appointed as joint lead managers of an IPO, according to the AFR, which didn’t cite any source for the information.

Demand for data centers is rising as businesses increase reliance on cloud-based services. The sector is winning attention from investors because of a lack of supply and as it offers exposure to digital infrastructure.

Read more: Kyle Bass Says ‘White-Hot’ Data Centers Are Property Play for AI

Development of artificial intelligence computing is boosting the industry’s prospects, according to AirTrunk’s Chief Executive Officer Robin Khuda. “The level of growth we are seeing right now is something we have not seen in 10 years,” he told a conference this month. “It’s remarkable.”

AirTrunk last month obtained a A$4.6 billion multi-currency sustainability-linked loan, the largest syndicated deal in Australia this year.