Partners Group takes majority stake in AVK Power Solutions with more than $1 billion equity commitment

Swiss private equity firm Partners Group has agreed to acquire a majority stake in UK-based AVK Power Solutions, committing more than $1 billion of equity - supplemented by debt financing - to accelerate the company's expansion in the data center power market^[1]. The deal, announced 6 August 2026, marks the first external funding in AVK's 36-year history.

What AVK does

AVK is headquartered in the United Kingdom and designs, installs, and maintains data center power solutions, with a product range spanning backup power generators, bespoke behind-the-meter turnkey energy infrastructure including microgrids, and modular electrical power units. The company also offers hybrid solutions capable of running on biogas, biofuel, and hydrogen. AVK has delivered more than 20,000 projects and installed approximately 3.5 GW of power to date.

The company's supplier relationships include Rolls-Royce Power Systems and Wärtsilä^[1]. In March 2026, AVK and Pure Data Centres Group switched on what they described as Europe's first large-scale islanded data center microgrid - a 110 MW on-site system at Pure DC's Dublin campus, operating independently from EirGrid while grid connection capacity is awaited. The system comprises three interconnected energy centers, each generating up to 30 MW, with Energy Centre 1 and EC2 targeted for full operation by end of 2026.

In April 2026, AVK launched the PowerPod: a fully integrated, pre-engineered modular power unit that consolidates UPS, engines, switchgear, controls, enclosures, and transformers into a single transportable package. The product is designed to let operators connect to the grid or run completely off-grid, and is available immediately for UK and EU customers.

The deal structure

Partners Group plans to invest more than $1 billion of equity, backed by debt financing^[1]. The capital will be used to:

• Expand AVK's existing generator and infrastructure business
• Develop on-site power infrastructure for data centers under an energy-as-a-service model
• Scale the microgrid offering across European and global markets

CEO Ben Pritchard will remain in post and retain a significant shareholding; the broader AVK management team also stays in place^[1].

Partners Group's data center track record

The Zug-based firm has been an active buyer in digital infrastructure. Partners Group has invested approximately $4 billion in data centers since 2021, including acquisitions of Nordic operator atNorth (since sold), US operator EdgeCore, Australian firm GreenSquareDC - where it committed up to AU$1.2 billion - and Singapore-based Digital Halo, acquired in May 2025. The AVK deal shifts the firm's focus from operating data centers to owning the power infrastructure that enables them.

Why the timing matters

Grid connection queues across the UK and Europe remain a structural constraint for new data center development. The Dublin microgrid demonstrated that operators can reach commercial operation without waiting for a grid connection - a proposition that is attracting a new class of investor focused specifically on behind-the-meter power rather than the data center itself.

The global microgrid market was valued at around $29 billion in 2025, with Europe's segment forecast to grow at close to 10% per year, driven partly by aging grid infrastructure. AVK's energy-as-a-service model - where it owns and operates the power infrastructure rather than selling equipment outright - positions it to capture recurring revenue as operators prioritise speed-to-power over capital expenditure.

Watch for: whether Partners Group moves to replicate the Dublin microgrid model at scale across FLAP-D markets, and how regulators in each jurisdiction treat islanded generation assets that may eventually export dispatchable capacity back to national grids.