CleanArc Data Centers has secured new investment from a real estate investor.
The company this week announced that Townsend Group has made a strategic investment in the company.
Terms of the deal were not shared, but existing investor Snowhawk retains a majority share in the data center firm. CleanArc said the investment will support the company’s growth.
"We're excited to welcome Townsend as a strategic investment partner," said James Trout, founder and CEO of CleanArc. "Their capital markets expertise, institutional knowledge, and private real assets scale will be instrumental as we execute on our mission to develop the data centers of the future, particularly our inaugural campus in Virginia, VA1. Townsend brings a demonstrated track record of supporting transformative businesses throughout their growth journeys. And with Snowhawk's ongoing investment leadership, we're well-equipped to continue tackling the growing data center challenges faced by hyperscalers."
Founded in 1983, Townsend Group is a provider of global real estate and real asset investment advisory services. The company has some $19.3 billion in assets under management and has provided advisory services to clients with real estate/real asset allocations exceeding $237.9bn.
"CleanArc's strong team of industry veterans and their shrewd approach to site selection, development, and power structuring really sets them apart," said Anthony Frammartino, CEO and chairman, Townsend. "We're excited to support the company's continued development of leading data center campuses across Tier 1 markets."
CleanArc was launched early last year by clean energy investment firm 547 Energy. Led by Vantage Data Centers founder Jim Trout, CleanArc aims to develop hyperscale data center campuses delivering 300MW+, and spanning 200-700 acres.
Private equity firm Snowhawk invested in CleanArc in September, becoming the company's majority owner.
"Snowhawk is delighted to partner with Townsend on this strategic investment in CleanArc, further accelerating innovation and the development of capacity to support the next generation of AI and cloud capabilities," said Brian McMullen, managing partner and co-founder of Snowhawk Partners.
CleanArc is developing a 600MW campus in Virginia’s Caroline County. The company is set to deliver 300MW of capacity by Q1 2027.
Trout also founded data center consultancy Proferian and CoreSite, and previously held roles at Digital Realty and ProLogis. He was president and CEO of CoreSite when it was founded as CRG West. Trout left Vantage in 2013.
