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ART and AirTrunk – an Australian success story

At ART, our team of investment experts are always looking beyond traditional shares to uncover assets with unique characteristics that may deliver positive returns for our members. In fact, for members under 50 years of age invested in our MySuper approved Lifecycle Investment Option, a little over 30% is invested in unlisted assets and alternatives.1

In this asset class, infrastructure and real estate investments play an important role, and this year infrastructure especially has been a strong contributor to our members’ super balances.

An Australian success story

AirTrunk – a data centre operator – was founded in 2015 by Bangladeshi-born Aussie Robin Khuda. Anticipating the growth of cloud computing, AirTrunk signed their first major cloud customers in 2016 and built data centres in Sydney and Melbourne shortly after, before expanding into Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and Malaysia.

Long-term contracts with global cloud computing and consumer internet companies across Australia and Asia has seen contracted capacity at AirTrunk’s data centres jump fourfold in just the last four years alone.

How is ART involved?

In late 2020, ART initially invested around $300 million for a minority stake in AirTrunk to support its continued growth plans.

In September 2024, AirTrunk announced it was being bought by a consortium led by US-based alternative asset manager Blackstone in a $24 billion mega-deal – the 5th largest corporate acquisition in Australian history.

As part of that agreement and subject to approvals, ART is also selling our stake in AirTrunk to Blackstone.

ART’s Head of Global Real Assets, Michael Weaver, said that the performance of AirTrunk was well beyond the business case for the initial investment.

“We’re delighted that when the sale to Blackstone is completed, it will realise substantial profits for ART members.”  

“It’s a result which reaffirms our strategy to look for unique investment opportunities wherever they may be, including in promising and important infrastructure projects in Australia and around the world,” Michael added.

To find out more about your investment options at ART, visit art.com.au/investments/options

1. www.australianretirementtrust.com.au/investments/options/lifecycle-investment-strategy