with additional consideration of up to $1.15 billion in cash depending on the achievement of certain earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") targets during 12- and 24-month periods.
At a purchase price of approximately $1.45 billion, the acquisition represents approximately 13 times UIG's projected 2027 EBITDA. The EBITDA multiple is expected to be significantly lower if the full variable payment is made. Vertiv expects the acquisition to contribute positively to adjusted earnings per share in the first year following completion. Strategically, the acquisition extends Vertiv's upstream presence to grid interconnection, incorporating microgrid controls, on-site generation and energy storage management, and behind-the-meter electrical architecture. These capabilities are expected to help data center operators secure power more quickly as grid constraints increasingly limit the deployment of AI infrastructure.
As energy availability becomes increasingly critical in data center development, architectural decisions are being made earlier in the planning process. Microgrid systems can coordinate on-site power generation and storage, reduce reliance on the electrical grid, and provide grid support when needed. This is increasing the importance of electrical architecture in the early stages of site development, when decisions can have significant implications for subsequent infrastructure.
“For AI data center operators, competitive advantage increasingly depends on how quickly they can move from site selection to first token,” said Gio Albertazzi, CEO of Vertiv. “Vertiv has the most comprehensive power and cooling portfolio in the industry. With UIG, we plan to extend this portfolio upstream to grid interconnect and on-site power sources, creating a coordinated architecture from source to chip without locking customers into a single generation technology or vendor.”.
Albertazzi continued: “Together, we anticipate being better positioned to support grid-connected sites, bridging to the grid deployments, and isolated sites supplied by on-site generation, while reducing complexity from site planning to rack-level deployment. This broader functionality can help customers accelerate access to power and, ultimately, time to first token.”
UIG founder and CEO Sidney Hinton added, “UIG was founded to solve the increasingly complex energy challenges faced by data center operators through flexible, technology-agnostic architectures. Vertiv’s global scale, critical infrastructure portfolio, and service capabilities make it a strong strategic fit for what we have built. We believe this combination can extend the reach of microgrid controls and UIG’s expertise in electrical architecture and create greater value for customers as energy becomes an increasingly critical constraint on data center growth.”
Expanding Vertiv's on-site energy capabilities
UIG's experience and technologies complement Vertiv's existing offerings: Experience: Designing and delivering microgrid systems for AI data center operators in the US and Europe, supported by extensive relationships with utility companies and experience in complex, large-scale deployments. UIG's designs are generation-agnostic, enabling architectures to be built around the technologies a site can authorize, power, and finance. Technology: Proprietary controls platform and pre-engineered microgrid electrical switchgear that manages multiple power sources in real time and coordinates them with the critical power chain . Vertiv currently brings extensive expertise in systems and controls across the critical power chain, supported by a comprehensive power and cooling portfolio and a global service network. In combination with UIG, Vertiv expects to help customers design and deploy integrated electrical architectures that improve speed, resilience, efficiency, and flexibility.
The benefits expected for customers and operators include:
Faster access to power with less dependence on grid interconnection timelines.
Ability to expand site functionality beyond what the grid alone can provide. A single point of contact for accountability, from grid interconnection to rack-level infrastructure.
Together, these capabilities are expected to provide customers with greater flexibility in how they obtain, manage, and scale power as data center needs evolve.
