Colt Technology Services has completed the sale of eight data centres across Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, all sold to firms owned by DWS Group, a German asset management firm.
The sites that have been sold formed part of the assets Colt gained through its acquisition of Lumen’s EMEA operations, with the European tranche transferring to NorthC and the London pair sold to another DWS-managed platform.
While it may seem counter-intuitive for Colt to step away from operating these facilities — particularly given the $1.8 billion price tag attached to the Lumen EMEA deal — these were unlikely to be the core assets Colt was seeking. The company keeps the relationship it values most: selling network services into those buildings without the obligation of running them.
It should also be noted that, despite the shared name, Colt Technology Services is a sister company to Colt Data Centre Services (DCS). They are run independently under the Colt Group. These former Lumen EMEA facilities were the only data centres owned by Colt Technology Services; Colt DCS, by contrast, has 13 operational sites with further developments planned.
Keri Gilder, CEO, Colt Technology Services, commented, “We’re pleased to have entered into this agreement to divest our data centres to NorthC and to the funds managed by DWS Group. The sale will enable us to focus on our strategic imperatives of driving growth, delivering exceptional customer experience, and building a sustainable network for the future.”
So, what sites has Colt sold to NorthC? Well, while the exact details covering the deal have not been disclosed, it’s known that NorthC will be taking over facilities in Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Düsseldorf and Amsterdam, with collective available power of more than 25MW.
As part of the agreement, Colt will remain a customer in the acquired facilities. Approximately 400 colocation customers will transfer from Colt as part of the divestment; the company noted the majority of these also buy network services from Colt and will continue to do so.
Alexandra Schless, CEO, NorthC Group, added, “This represents another major milestone in our journey to operate the leading platform of regional data centers in northwestern Europe. Germany, as Europe’s largest economy, is a key strategic market for us.
“With this acquisition, we will strengthen our presence across key economic regions in Germany, which will unlock further growth and new opportunities. We’re also pleased to further expand our partnership with Colt as one of the major network providers within the rich connectivity eco-system in each facility.”
It should be noted that the sale of these data centres was announced in April 2025, but has formally completed as of this week.
