European investment firm Eurazeo has announced a €100 million ($108 million) investment aimed at developing data centers across Europe. This partnership with Metrobloks, a US-based data center developer, was revealed in a recent announcement on the Euronext Paris stock exchange.

The collaboration will focus on acquiring land and constructing data centers in major European markets, including Tier 1 cities like London and Amsterdam, as well as emerging Tier 2 markets such as Milan, Madrid, Lisbon, Berlin, and Manchester. Eurazeo plans to leverage its newly launched EZORE fund to provide financial, strategic, and human resources for this initiative.

Pierre Larivière and Riccardo Abello, co-heads of real estate at Eurazeo, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting Metrobloks' innovative approach to data center development. They believe this collaboration aligns with Eurazeo's investment strategy, which emphasizes sustainable and high-growth real estate opportunities. The team is eager to support Metrobloks in capitalizing on the expanding data center sector.

Metrobloks specializes in developing AI-ready data center facilities located at the metro Edge. The company recently secured a $5.2 million seed round led by Current Equity Partners and Serena Capital. CEO Ernest Popescu emphasized the importance of the partnership with Eurazeo, noting their expertise in real estate investment and commitment to sustainability, which aligns with Metrobloks' goals in the evolving digital economy.

Popescu has an extensive background in data center development, having previously worked at Iron Mountain, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon. Metrobloks currently lists a significant data center in Milan, Italy, with a capacity of 34.2MW and 196,980 square feet, capable of supporting up to 150kW per rack. The company also operates facilities in Miami and Philadelphia.

Founded in 2001, Eurazeo manages €36.1 billion ($39.1 billion) in diversified assets. The EZORE fund, launched in late 2024, focuses on various real estate assets, including data centers, student accommodation, senior living, and self-storage. Eurazeo's first investment through this fund was in Aquardens, an Italian thermal bath park operator.

Previously, Eurazeo invested $46.8 million in data center operator Etix Everywhere, although Infranity holds a controlling stake in that firm. This latest investment in Metrobloks marks a significant step for Eurazeo as it seeks to expand its footprint in the rapidly growing data center market across Europe.