Yazılar

Cognite to Relocate Headquarters to U.S., Citing Regulatory Challenges in Europe

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Norwegian industrial software company Cognite announced plans to move its headquarters to the United States this year. The shift is aimed at capitalizing on the growing markets in North America, Asia, and the Middle East. Co-founder John Markus Lervik shared the decision at the Reuters Global Markets Forum, noting that Europe’s regulatory environment was impeding the company’s growth.

Key Points:

  • Strategic Move to the U.S.: Lervik emphasized that the U.S. offers more opportunities, especially with the new administration’s focus on investment. The company plans to aggressively expand in the U.S., with over 100 job openings already listed.
  • Concerns Over Europe’s Regulatory Environment: Cognite’s decision comes as Lervik has expressed long-standing concerns about Europe’s slow pace in fostering growth in the tech sector. The company’s founders hope that the U.S. push will encourage European regulators to reconsider their stance on tech regulations.
  • Cognite’s Backing and Market Focus: Cognite, a software firm focused on industrial data aggregation and analysis, has received significant investment from major players like Aker ASA, Accel, TCV, and Saudi Aramco. The firm’s client list includes AkerBP, with which it collaborates to enhance technology and software solutions for industrial applications.
  • AkerBP’s Position: AkerBP’s Chief Digital Officer Paula Doyle, speaking alongside Lervik, echoed the sentiment that Europe needs “smarter regulation” or even deregulation to foster more innovation in the tech and software industries. She highlighted that Europe has lagged behind the U.S. in these areas.
  • Valuation and Future Prospects: Following Saudi Aramco’s 7.4% investment in Cognite, the company’s estimated valuation has reached $1.6 billion, positioning it as a significant player in the industrial software space.

Digital Edge Raises Over $1.6 Billion to Fuel Expansion Across Asia

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Singapore-based data centre company Digital Edge announced on Monday that it had successfully raised over $1.6 billion in new capital through a mix of equity and debt financing. This funding is intended to drive the company’s growth as it expands to meet the surging demand for cloud and artificial intelligence services across Asia.

The capital raised includes approximately $640 million in equity investment from both existing and new investors, as well as $1 billion in debt financing. Digital Edge is a portfolio company of Stonepeak, a New York-based investment firm with a focus on infrastructure and real assets.

Since its establishment in 2020, Digital Edge has rapidly expanded its footprint, currently operating 21 data centres with more than 500 megawatts of capacity in service or under construction. The company is also developing an additional 300 megawatts of capacity for future use across multiple Asian countries, including Japan, Korea, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

 

Brookfield-Owned Clarios Withdraws U.S. IPO Plans

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Clarios International, the car battery manufacturer owned by global investment firm Brookfield, has officially withdrawn its plans for an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States. The company, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, made the announcement on Monday but did not provide further details regarding the decision.

Clarios had initially filed for a U.S. IPO in 2021, with plans to raise up to $1.85 billion and achieve a valuation of approximately $11 billion. However, the company postponed its offering that same year due to market volatility and macroeconomic challenges, citing the need to reassess market conditions.

The decision to withdraw the IPO comes despite an increase in U.S. IPO activity, driven by a bullish equities market and the anticipation of business-friendly policies under the incoming Trump administration. Despite this, Clarios, which produces batteries used in vehicles globally, including in one-third of all cars on the road, decided against moving forward with its public listing at this time.

Brookfield acquired Clarios in 2019 for $13.2 billion, including debt, as part of a major acquisition from Johnson Controls International.