Global Switch

Global Switch

Wholesale data centre operator and developer

Overview

Global Switch owns, operates, and develops large-scale, carrier-neutral data centres in Europe and Asia-Pacific. It provides wholesale data centre space via long-term multi-megawatt leases to governments, financial institutions, enterprises, and service providers. Facilities feature redundant power and cooling to meet Tier III+ standards, 24/7 on-site security, and strong energy efficiency with high BREEAM ratings, plus carrier-neutral connectivity to many ecosystems. The company differentiates itself through a globally scaled portfolio, emphasis on sustainability and operational excellence, and a stable, long-term revenue model, with the goal of delivering secure, resilient data centre infrastructure at scale while expanding its regional footprint.

About Global Switch

Simplify's Rating
Why Global Switch is rated
B
Rated A on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Data & Analytics

Real Estate

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

Private

Total Funding

$1.6B

Headquarters

London, United Kingdom

Founded

1998

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Madrid 2 broke ground in August 2026, adding 56MW for AI, cloud, and HPC.
  • Bangkok expansion plans announced in August 2026 open a new Southeast Asia growth market.
  • CoreWeave hosting at Docklands validates Global Switch as a live AI infrastructure venue.

What critics are saying

  • Shagang's reported 2025 sale process leaves Global Switch strategically unstable until closing or collapse.
  • Global Switch Australia's 2024 sale removes cash-generating assets and weakens geographic diversification.
  • CFO David Doyle retires in February 2026 during refinancing and acquisition uncertainty.

What makes Global Switch unique

  • London South adds 40MW, making Docklands one of Europe's largest campuses in 2024.
  • Global Switch's partner roster includes AWS, Alibaba Cloud, Azure, and CoreWeave in 2025.
  • NVIDIA DGX-Ready certification and liquid-cooling support target AI workloads across key campuses.

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Funding

Total Funding

$1.6B

Above

Industry Average

Funded Over

5 Rounds

Secondary funding comparison data is currently unavailable. We're working to provide this information soon!
Secondary Funding Comparison
Coming Soon

Benefits

Health Insurance

Remote Work Options

Flexible Work Hours

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

0%
Data Center Dynamics
Aug 17th, 2026
Global Switch announces foray into Bangkok, Thailand.

Global Switch announces foray into Bangkok, Thailand. Details of expansion unclear August 17, 2026 Data center operator Global Switch announced plans to expand into Bangkok, Thailand, in a LinkedIn post on Thursday 6th August. The operator cited growing demand, the city's access to subsea cables, and connectivity with other Asian markets as reasons for its expansion. No details about specific projects were announced. Most of Global Switch's data centers are based in Europe, but the operator also has two facilities in Singapore and one in Hong Kong. Global Switch was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in London, UK. The company was bought by Chinese steel giant Jiangsu Shagang Group in 2016, but has been seeking a buyer since early 2021. The company has previously sold off its Australian operations to HMC Capital. Most of Thailand's data centers are located in and around Bangkok, the country's capital city. Data Center Map lists some 65 facilities across the country, with all but one in and around the capital. Operators in the area include NTT, TrueIDC, Empyrion, DigitalEdge, Bridge DC, SuperNAP Thailand, DayOne, Etix, and others. More in southeast asia.

Data Center Dynamics
Aug 14th, 2026
Global Switch breaks ground on second Madrid data center.

Global Switch breaks ground on second Madrid data center. Madrid 2 to add 56MW of capacity August 14, 2026 Construction has commenced on Global Switch's second data center in Madrid, Spain. When built, Madrid 2 will be the second facility on Global Switch's Madrid data center campus, located next to Madrid 1. The company announced the groundbreaking this week on LinkedIn. The 24,000 sqm (258,335 sq ft) colocation facility will have a capacity of 56MW. Madrid 2 will support AI, cloud, and high-performance computing. The data center is set to come online in 2029 and reach full capacity by 2032. The contractor for the building is Spain-based EIGO Construcciones. The existing facility at Global Switch's Madrid data center campus, Madrid 1, was built in 2000 and has since undergone expansions, with upgrades planned through 2027. The 12,000 sqm (129,165 sq ft) colocation data center has a capacity of 14MW. With the addition of the Madrid 2 facility, the Global Switch Madrid data center campus will have a combined capacity of 70MW. The site is located on Calle Yécora, close to the city center and financial center. It is an area known as 'Silicon Alley' due to the high concentration of technology and internet companies in the region, which also has the highest per capita connectivity in Spain. Global Switch was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in London, UK. It currently operates 16 data centers across Europe and Asia Pacific, totaling around 428,000 sqm (4.6 million sq ft). The company is majority owned by China's Jiangsu Shagang Group. Madrid is Spain's primary digital and data center hub, with 81 data centers according to Data Center Map. More in Construction & site selection.

Data Centre Magazine
Jul 14th, 2026
Who is David Burton, Colt DCS' new CIO?

Who is David Burton, Colt DCS' new CIO? July 14, 2026 Colt DCS has named former Global Switch executive David Burton as its new CIO to lead the data centre operator's global technology and security teams Colt Data Centre Services (Colt DCS), a global provider of AI-ready, hyperscale and large enterprise data centres, has announced the appointment of David Burton as its new Chief Information Officer. The data centre operator confirmed the hire as an important milestone designed to support the organisation's continued expansion across the sector. In his capacity as Chief Information Officer, David takes direct responsibility for leading the global technology and security teams at Colt DCS. His primary mandate includes shaping the company's overarching technology vision and ensuring the delivery of secure, scalable and future-ready digital platforms to accommodate business growth. The appointment brings a combination of strategic insight and hands-on technical expertise to Colt DCS, which the company states will further strengthen both the specific technology function and the wider executive leadership team. "I'm thrilled to be joining Colt DCS at a time of incredible growth in the sector," says David. "I'm excited to lead the teams strengthening Colt DCS' technology and security platforms and services, enabling us to design, build and operate our growing data centre portfolio as efficiently as possible, while keeping it secure for both the business and our customers." Decades of technology leadership. David brings more than 25 years of global technology leadership experience to the company. He joins Colt DCS directly from Global Switch Data Centres. During his tenure at Global Switch, he served as Group Director of Information. In this management position, he led the organisation's digital strategy, strengthened its cybersecurity posture and delivered technology capabilities necessary to support sustained business growth across the company. Over the course of his 25-year career, David has driven large-scale digital transformation programmes across diverse market sectors. His professional background encompasses cloud computing, virtualisation and global IT service management. He also holds extensive experience managing technology programmes within research and development and consumer goods. Colt DCS anticipates that this breadth of cross-sector experience, combined with his established ability to translate strategic vision into practical execution, will serve as a significant asset as the data centre provider continues to scale and evolve its operations. "We are delighted to welcome David to Colt DCS at such a pivotal time in our growth," says Quy Nguyen, Acting CEO and Chief Sales Officer at Colt DCS. "His proven track record in leading complex, global technology organisations, combined with his deep expertise in digital transformation and cybersecurity, makes him the ideal leader to drive our next phase of innovation. I'm confident he will play a key role in strengthening our platform and delivering long-term value for our customers." Addressing high-density requirements. The leadership appointment aligns with a period in which the data centre industry faces evolving technical and regulatory demands. David's focus on future-ready platforms coincides with the specific physical infrastructure requirements brought about by new technologies and higher computing loads. David explains: "Higher-density AI compute is driving new requirements around energy use and heat management, which has necessitated a total rethink of the ways in which data centres are designed, built and operated. "Adding to this, operators are increasingly expected to deliver infrastructure on tighter timelines and demonstrate compliance with sustainability frameworks like the EU's CRSD" "While legacy data centre designs often struggled with water efficiency, modern facilities are rapidly evolving with advanced cooling technologies and smarter resource management," David adds. Implementing standardisation strategies. To address these market demands, Colt DCS relies on specific standardisation frameworks to integrate energy-efficient systems into new builds. The company focuses on ensuring these requirements are met from the initial planning phases of a data centre project. "It's exciting to be joining a company which is at the forefront of innovation in this space," says David. "For instance, Colt DCS' GRD (Global Reference Design) is already driving standardisation and change across the industry. It acts as a blueprint, helping developers to build in energy-efficient technologies at the design stage." Executives. * David Burton Chief Information Officer * Quy Nguyen Acting CEO and Chief Sales Officer Company Portals

Associated Press
Apr 1st, 2026
China Mobile's Gui'an data center hits 700P computing power with energy-efficient 'breathing' cooling system

China Mobile's Guiyang Data Center in Gui'an New Area features the country's largest renovated single-warehouse facility, the Xinghe Data Center, housing over 3,000 cabinets capable of supporting more than 30,000 servers. The facility employs magnetic levitation outdoor air conditioning units with an energy efficiency ratio of 1.196. The system automatically switches to free cooling mode when temperatures drop below 14 degrees Celsius, available nearly half the year and saving electricity equivalent to 15,000 households' annual consumption. The data center's total computing power reaches approximately 700P, serving 30 institutions including Huawei and Alibaba. Guizhou province now operates 50 major data centres, with total computing power expected to reach 150 EFLOPS by year-end, with intelligent computing comprising over 97 per cent.

PR Newswire APAC
Feb 27th, 2025
HKBN Enterprise Solutions Teams Up with Global Switch Unveils Liquid Cooled Data Centre Co-location Services for High-Performance Compute Solutions

HONG KONG, Feb. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - HKBN Enterprise Solutions (HKBNES) has collaborated with Global Switch, a leading data centre operator, to deliver highly resilient and advanced data management solutions for enterprise customers.

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