Digital Realty has unveiled a series of major transactions in a single week, combining a large-scale hyperscale data center development in Kansas with an increased ownership stake in South African operator Teraco and the acquisition of US investment firm Columbia Capital, in moves the company says reinforce three core pillars of its growth strategy.

A 1,440-Acre Footprint in De Soto, Kansas

The centerpiece of Digital Realty's announcements is the acquisition of approximately 1,440 acres of powered land at the Astra Enterprise Park in De Soto, Kansas, located at W 103rd St and Lexington Ave, southwest of Kansas City.

The site was acquired from the Sunflower Redevelopment Group in April for approximately USD 475 million. The first phase of development, known as Astra North, will cover approximately 280 acres and is planned to include up to nine buildings totaling around 3 million square feet, along with an on-site substation.

Digital Realty has entered into an energy service agreement with local utility Evergy to provide 600 megawatts of utility power by early 2028, with capacity rising to 2 gigawatts at full delivery. Digital Realty will pay for its energy under Kansas' higher large-load tariff.

The campus is expected to rely on outside air-cooling for the majority of the time, supplemented by evaporative cooling during peak hot periods.

Digital Realty also aims to fund a new industrial wastewater treatment plant as part of the project.

The Astra Enterprise Park itself covers 9,000 acres and was previously the site of the US Government's Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant, which shut down in 1993.

The land was transferred for redevelopment in 2005 and is today operated by real estate firm Kessinger Hunter. Other developments at the park include a Panasonic battery production facility covering 300 acres and a potential 600-megawatt solar farm planned for approximately 3,000 acres within the park.

Andy Power, president and CEO of Digital Realty, said the Kansas acquisition enhances the company's ability to serve hyperscale customers' near-term requirements.

Teraco Stake Rises to 77 Percent

In a separate transaction, Digital Realty announced it will purchase a further 16 percent stake in South African data center operator Teraco for approximately USD 650 million.

The purchase will be paid for principally through the issuance of 3.4 million shares of common stock, and the deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026. The transaction involves acquiring shares from certain minority shareholders.

Following the completion of the deal, Digital Realty will own 77 percent of Teraco.

The US company first acquired a majority stake in Teraco in January 2022 in a deal that valued the South African firm at approximately USD 3.5 billion.

Founded in 2008, Teraco operates multiple campuses across South Africa. At full expansion, its total capacity across the portfolio is set to reach 191 megawatts, encompassing its Isando Campus in Johannesburg at 70 megawatts, the Bredell Campus at 64 megawatts, the Cape Town Campus at 55 megawatts, and a Durban facility at 2 megawatts.

Power described the increased Teraco stake as strengthening Digital Realty's position in Africa's leading data center platform and supporting the continued growth of its global colocation and connectivity business.

Columbia Capital Acquired for $485 Million

Digital Realty also announced the acquisition of US investment firm Columbia Capital, also known as ColCap, for approximately USD 485 million. The deal will be paid for principally through the issuance of 2.3 million shares of common stock and is expected to close in the second half of 2026.

Founded in 1989, Columbia Capital is focused on the communications, technology, and digital infrastructure space.

The firm has accumulated more than USD 9 billion in fund commitments from hundreds of investors, including sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, insurance companies, endowments, and other institutional investors. Digital Realty said the acquisition will accelerate its Strategic Private Capital platform.

The company closed a new USD 3.25 billion US hyperscale data center fund earlier this year, which is primarily focused on the ownership and development of hyperscale data centers across major Tier 1 metros in the United States, including Northern Virginia, California, Texas, Georgia, and New York.

Digital Realty retains a 20 percent ownership interest in that fund's portfolio and serves as its manager. The relationship between Digital Realty and Columbia Capital predates this acquisition.

Columbia Capital is a long-time co-investor in Teraco and previously partnered with Digital Realty through Vela Infrastructure, a subsea cable landing station developer founded in 2024.

Columbia has also previously invested in Cologix and euNetworks.

Its current data center investments include US operator Centra, data center land developer Tract, Teraco, Germany's IPB/Carrier Colo, and several fiber companies.

Power said the history of collaboration between the two firms reflects a shared long-term perspective and that the acquisition provides additional flexibility to support the scaling of both Digital Realty's hyperscale development pipeline and its private capital platform.