(Bloomberg) -- Private equity firms including EQT AB and KKR & Co. are among bidders shortlisted to buy data center company Global Switch Holdings Ltd., according to people familiar with the matter.

Gaw Capital Partners, PAG and Stonepeak Partners have also been selected to participate in the next round of bidding for the London-based company, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. Suitors could start conducting due diligence in the coming weeks ahead of a deadline for binding offers, the people said.

Global Switch’s owners including Jiangsu Shagang Group Co. and Avic Trust Co. were poised to kick off a long-awaited sale, which could value the data center company at about $10 billion, Bloomberg News reported in May. Global Switch in June confirmed that its shareholders are exploring a potential divestment following strong international investor interest, while there’s no certainty that any transaction will happen.

Considerations are ongoing and no final decisions have been made, the people said. Some bidders could consider teaming up or not to proceed with the process, they added. 

Representatives for EQT, Gaw Capital, Global Switch, KKR and PAG declined to comment. A representative for Shagang said she has no knowledge of the issue and declined to comment, while a representative for Stonepeak didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Data center companies have been attracting strong takeover interest, in part due to the perception of their having stable returns, and expectations of ongoing growth as people increasingly rely on technology.

Founded in 1998, Global Switch owns and operates 13 data centers in Europe and Asia Pacific spanning about 428,000 square meters, according to its website. It reported 251.4 million pounds ($297 million) in Ebitda for 2021, a 5.8% increase from the previous year, according to its annual report.

Global Switch previously attempted to go public in Hong Kong but aborted the initial public offering plans in 2019. In August of that year, Shagang bought another 24% stake in a 1.8 billion-pound deal from British billionaire brothers David and Simon Reuben, who had begun to whittle down their ownership in 2016. Shagang then became the largest shareholder.

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