On April 11, 2023, Brookfield Infrastructure made its entry into the European data centre market by acquiring French data centre operator Data4 from AXA IM in April 2023. The transaction was valued at approximately €3.5 billion (C$5.1 billion or $3.8 billion USD), including debt. This acquisition marked Brookfield’s first move into Europe’s data centre sector, with plans for further expansion.

Data4, based in Paris, operates 31 data centres across six countries, including France, Italy, Spain, and Luxembourg, serving cloud operators and businesses requiring data storage and communication infrastructure. AXA IM had acquired Data4 in 2018 for an undisclosed sum. Following the sale, AXA IM stated it would continue to pursue acquisition and development opportunities in the data-related sector.

Simmons & Simmons acted as legal advisors to Brookfield Infrastructure, while Dentons and Kirkland & Ellis represented AXA IM Alts in the transaction.