Aligned Data Centers Enters Canada, Invests In QScale

Aligned Data Centers has invested in the Canadian company QScale. The "strategic investment" received "strong support" from existing shareholders, according to QScale. The scale of the investment was not disclosed; however, it is described as a "major financing round" and is anticipated to close in the second quarter of 2023, pending regulatory approval. According to the company, the new investment will allow QScale to 'rapidly accelerate its development of high-density data centers' across Québec, and it will use the proceeds to develop future segments of its flagship Q01 facility as well as the future development of other campuses.

QScale characterized Aligned as a 'complementary operating partner that firmly supports QScale's vision'. Aligned's majority shareholders are funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management. QScale was established in 2018 by Vincent Thibault, Dany Perron, and Martin Bouchard for intensive applications such as HPC, machine learning, and AI. Bouchard originally founded software company Copernic and 4Degrés data centers, which were sold to Videotron in 2015 prior to Vantage's 2019 acquisition of the facilities.

Existing investors in QScale include Investissement Québec and Desjardins Capital. Aligned has always concentrated on data centers in its native market, but late last year it purchased Odata from Brazilian private equity firm Patria Investments. Odata provides colocation services from three data centers in Brazil, as well as one data center in Colombia and one data center in Mexico. The company has begun construction on a building in Chile, is constructing a new structure in Rio de Janeiro, and plans to expand its campus in Sao Paulo.