Schneider Electric has announced plans to invest $850 million to acquire Motivair, a provider of data center cooling solutions.
In a statement posted on the company’s website on Thursday, Schneider outlined its intention to enhance its capabilities in the data center market, with a particular focus on liquid cooling solutions for high-performance computing.
The company plans to acquire the remaining 25 per cent of non-controlling interests in Motivair by 2028, integrating it into Schneider Electric’s Energy Management business segment.
However, the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including necessary regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the upcoming quarters.
“Under the terms of the transaction, Schneider Electric will acquire an initial 75 per cent controlling interest in the equity of Motivair for an all-cash consideration of $850m, which includes the value of a tax step-up, and value Motivair at a mid-single digit multiple of projected financial year 2025 revenue,” the statement read.
Experts indicate that artificial intelligence and the advent of large language models are significant catalysts behind the rise in power generation needed to support the expanding digitization across various markets.
Data center services have become increasingly vital to the global economy, with approximately 20 percent of global data center storage capacity now dedicated to AI, according to a market report from Whiteshield and Khazna.
Schneider Electric noted that the shift toward accelerated computing has prompted the development of new data center architectures that demand more efficient cooling solutions.
The company emphasized that traditional air cooling systems are becoming inadequate for managing the increased heat generated by advanced computing systems, highlighting the need for a transition to liquid cooling technologies.
Schneider Electric Chief Executive Officer, Peter Herweck, commented, “The acquisition of Motivair represents an important step, furthering our world-leading position across the data centre value chain.
“The unique liquid cooling portfolio of Motivair complements our value proposition in data centre cooling and further strengthens our prominent position in data centre buildout from grid to chip and from chip to chiller.”
Motivair, headquartered in Buffalo, New York, was founded in 1988 and employs over 150 people.
Motivair leverages its strong engineering expertise and deep domain knowledge to deliver world-class products, including coolant distribution units, rear door heat exchangers, cold plates, and heat dissipation units, as well as chillers for thermal management.
