Franklin Templeton, a global investment leader with more than $1.6 trillion in assets under management, together with three leading institutional infrastructure investment firms: Actis, the Sustainable Infrastructure business of General Atlantic; Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (“CIP”); and DigitalBridge, announced a strategic partnership to deliver private infrastructure solutions to individual investors.

This partnership seeks to provide private wealth clients with differentiated access to high-growth infrastructure opportunities, thematically focused on energy security, electrification, and digitalization, as well as sectors including data centers and hyperscaler development, renewable energy, fiber and towers, and digital power.

“We are excited to partner with three leading firms: DigitalBridge, CIP, and Actis, in response to a compelling market demand for allocations to infrastructure,” said Jenny Johnson, President and CEO, Franklin Templeton. “The trends shaping the private markets present an opportunity to broaden access to capital and advance the availability of investments in energy security, electrification, and digitalization, and this is a unique opportunity for investors to unlock that potential.”

By 2040, global infrastructure needs are expected to surpass $94 trillion, representing an estimated $15 trillion capital opportunity for private investors.¹ Through this strategic partnership, Franklin Templeton, together with three leading managers, will bring together complementary expertise to address this demand and deliver attractive investment opportunities:

• DigitalBridge (AUM: USD$106 billion²) is a leader in global-scale digital infrastructure investing, which provides opportunities to capitalize on the ever-growing digital evolution, including artificial intelligence, by deploying capital across five key verticals: data centers, cell towers, fiber networks, small cells, and edge infrastructure.
• Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (AUM: USD$37 billion²) is the world’s largest dedicated fund manager within greenfield energy investments. Through its broad portfolio of energy infrastructure projects and industry expertise, CIP enables the partnership to take full advantage of the opportunities emerging from the global energy transition.
• Actis (AUM: USD$16 billion³), the Sustainable Infrastructure business of General Atlantic, a leading global investor (USD$114 billion), is a growth market specialist. For over two decades, Actis has invested in critical infrastructure assets with defensive profiles across power, transmission, transport, and digital sectors worldwide.

“Digital infrastructure is a core driver of the global economy, and private wealth investors are increasingly seeking access to opportunities that have traditionally been reserved for institutions,” said Marc Ganzi, CEO of DigitalBridge. “Partnering with a global distribution leader like Franklin Templeton allows us to broaden access to this asset class at a pivotal moment, as artificial intelligence, electrification, and next-generation connectivity accelerate demand for digital and energy infrastructure. By combining our sector expertise with Franklin Templeton’s reach in private wealth, we are creating a platform designed to deliver institutional-quality opportunities to a broader set of investors.”

“We are delighted to join this partnership for the development of critical global infrastructure, and energy infrastructure in particular,” said Christian Skakkebæk, Senior Partner at CIP. “As pioneers in providing energy and electrification solutions, we look forward to contributing our distinct industrial approach to value creation, based on investing in greenfield projects and developing them from the ground up. This collaboration is the first of its kind, marking a significant milestone for investors looking to strengthen their portfolios with private infrastructure.”

“We are building critical infrastructure across energy, digital, transport, and other high-growth sectors, supported by disciplined, hands-on investment capital,” said Torbjorn Caesar, Chairman of Actis. “Investors today are seeking resilience, scale, and relevance – qualities that define Actis’ sustainable infrastructure platform in growth markets. Through this strategic partnership, we look forward to expanding access to our investment platform and delivering long-term value.”

Once launched, the expanded suite of private wealth offerings will seek to deliver institutional-quality private infrastructure access. The investment profile is expected to provide stable inflation-linked cash flows. These solutions are intended to be built for resilience through economic and market cycles, with exposure to high-growth sectors driving the future of energy, transport, and digital connectivity.

Source: Actis