Global Switch Holdings Ltd.’s Chinese owners are considering carving up the data center group in the hopes of reviving a sale that could fetch about $6 billion, people with knowledge of the matter said.
The UK company’s shareholders have been discussing a potential move to sell Global Switch operations in Europe and Asia Pacific separately to different buyers, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. Each division could be valued at roughly $3 billion, according to the people.
Splitting the London-based business may boost the likelihood of a deal getting done, since suitors had previously balked at the $10 billion asking price for the entire group and some were keen on only parts of the business, the people said.
Global Switch could also separate its Australia business from the European and Asian operations, some of the people said. The company’s owners, who include Chinese steelmaker Jiangsu Shagang Group Co. and Avic Trust Co., are discussing different options and could try to relaunch the process in the coming months, the people said.
Deliberations are ongoing, and there’s no certainty they will lead to a transaction. A spokesperson for Global Switch declined to comment. Representatives for Shagang and Avic Trust didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Founded in 1998, Global Switch owns and operates 13 data centers across Europe and Asia Pacific comprising about 428,000 square meters, according to its website.
Previous discussions about a potential sale of the company petered out amid lower-than-expected bids and tightening financing conditions, Bloomberg News reported in January. Private equity firms EQT AB, KKR & Co. and PAG were among the final bidders competing to acquire Global Switch, people with knowledge of the matter have said.
Global Switch’s Chinese owners bought control of the group from British billionaire brothers David and Simon Reuben in a series of transactions starting in 2016.
Author: Dong Cao, Manuel Baigorri and Vinicy Chan
