KKR Sells Deutsche Glasfaser to EQT and OMERS Back to Press Releases

KKR Sells Deutsche Glasfaser to EQT and OMERS

February 10, 2020

Under KKR’s ownership, the company has become the German market leader in next-generation digital infrastructure

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announces the signing of an agreement with EQT Infrastructure IV fund (“EQT” or “EQT Infrastructure”) and OMERS, for EQT and OMERS to jointly acquire Deutsche Glasfaser (“DG”).

Deutsche Glasfaser was founded in 2011 and KKR acquired a majority position in 2015 from Dutch investor Reggeborgh. Under KKR’s ownership, Deutsche Glasfaser has become the fastest growing provider of gigabit internet connections through fiber-to-the-home (“FTTH”) in Germany. With KKR’s operational and financial support the company invested over €1.2bn in fibre infrastructure and deployment in underserved rural and suburban communities in Germany, increasing connections to more than 600,000 households and 5,000 businesses.

During that period, KKR has provided consistent support to the DG team including through its dedicated Capital Markets team, which has led several successful rounds of financing for the company to support its growth. The investment demonstrates KKR’s unique expertise in growing and expanding businesses in the infrastructure sector while making an important contribution to increasing broadband penetration, supporting SME growth and helping bring market-leading connectivity to underserved communities in Germany.

Vincent Policard, Partner at KKR in European Infrastructure, said: “A big thank you to Uwe Nickl, Jordi Nieuwenhuis and their management team for an incredible journey over the past years. We are delighted to have contributed to this by supporting the growth of a company which has transformed German connectivity, making huge progress in ensuring that all German households and businesses have access to the digital infrastructure necessary to drive economic growth and help societal development. We wish the company continued success in further developing the German gigabit society.”

Uwe Nickl, CEO of Deutsche Glasfaser, said: “I am very happy to have worked with the team at KKR who have helped us immensely over the past few years with our growth journey as a business. KKR’s industry expertise, deep international network and continued support throughout the process has been invaluable, helping us to scale effectively, establish our market-leading position and bring digital infrastructure to more homes in Germany than ever before.”

The investment in Deutsche Glasfaser was made through KKR’s Infrastructure Fund II. KKR has been active in the infrastructure sector for a decade and currently has around $20bn AUM. The global infrastructure platform has completed over 30 investments in that period, half of those in Europe, across the energy and utility, transportation and telecommunications sectors. The team is currently investing KKR Global Infrastructure Investors III, a $7.4bn vehicle raised in 2018, and has been active in Europe in recent months with transactions including the acquisition of a majority stake in Hyperoptic, a leading UK fibre broadband provider.

The closing of the transaction is expected in Q2 2020, subject to customary regulatory approval. Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisor to KKR and Clifford Chance served as legal counsel on the transaction.

For more information:

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate and credit, with strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns for its fund investors by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies. KKR invests its own capital alongside the capital it manages for fund investors and provides financing solutions and investment opportunities through its capital markets business. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

International
Alastair Elwen
Finsbury
Alastair.elwen@finsbury.com
+44 20 7251 3801

Germany
Raphael Eisenmann
Hering Schuppener
+49 69 92 18 74-86
reisenmann@heringschuppener.com

Source: KKR


Download PDF

Back to Press Releases

Media Contacts

Americas

Kristi Huller
Miles Radcliffe-Trenner
Julia Kosygina
Telephone: +1 (212) 750-8300

Email: media@kkr.com

EMEA

Annabel Arthur
Telephone: +44 20 7839 9800

Email: kkrpr-uk@kkr.com

Asia-Pacific

Anita Davis
Wei Jun Ong
Telephone: +852 3602 7335

Email: media@kkr.com

Investor Relations

‍Craig Larson
Telephone: +1 (877) 610-4910
Outside US: +1 (212) 230-9410
Facsimile: +1 (212) 750-0003
Email: Investor-Relations@kkr.com

×

Listen to webcast

This presentation contains certain forward-looking statements pertaining to KKR & Co. Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries (collectively “KKR”), including certain investment funds, vehicles and accounts that are managed by KKR (each, a “fund”). Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. The forward-looking statements are based on KKR’s beliefs, assumptions and expectations of its future performance, taking into account all information currently available to it. These beliefs, assumptions and expectations can change as a result of many possible events or factors, not all of which are known to KKR or are within its control. If a change occurs, KKR’s business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations, including but not limited to, assets under management, fee paying assets under management, after-tax distributable earnings, capital invested, syndicated capital, uncalled commitments, cash and short-term investments, fee related earnings, fee and yield segment EBITDA, core interest expense and book value, may vary materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to vary from the forward-looking statements: whether KKR realizes all or any of the anticipated benefits from converting to a corporation and the timing of realizing such benefits; whether there are increased or unforeseen costs associated with the conversion, including any adverse change in tax law; the volatility of the capital markets; the general volatility of the capital markets; failure to realize the benefits of or changes in KKR’s business strategies including the ability to realize the anticipated synergies from acquisitions or strategic partnerships or other transactions; availability, terms and deployment of capital; availability of qualified personnel and expense of recruiting and retaining such personnel; changes in the asset management industry, interest rates or the general economy; underperformance of KKR's investments and decreased ability to raise funds; and the degree and nature of KKR’s competition. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. KKR does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date on which such statements were made except as required by law. In addition, KKR’s business strategy is focused on the long-term and financial results are subject to significant volatility.

Additional information about factors affecting KKR, including a description of risks that may be important to a decision to purchase or sell any common or preferred stock of KKR & Co. Inc., can be found in KKR & Co. Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and its other filings with the SEC, which are available at www.sec.gov.

I understand  |   Go back
×

Listen to Presentation

Before viewing this presentation, please acknowledge your understanding that it has been prepared for KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) for the benefit of its public stockholders and is not intended to be a solicitation or sale of any of the securities, funds or services that it may discuss. Please click on "I understand" to view the presentation.

I understand  |   Go back