Why is Digital Realty in the Top 10 Data Centre Companies?

Digital Realty has been ranked number six in the 2025 edition of Data Centre Magazine’s Top 100 Data Centre Companies list. The company’s position reflects the operational scale of its global platform, the consistency of its leasing performance and its ongoing capital structuring initiatives. With a growing presence across key markets in North America, Europe and APAC, Digital Realty continues to enable connectivity, colocation and data gravity solutions for enterprises, hyperscalers and service providers.

A global backbone for digital economies

The company designs, builds, owns and operates data centre facilities and interconnection ecosystems for cloud and enterprise customers. Its offering combines colocation, dedicated data halls, interconnection and hybrid‑IT enablement via its PlatformDIGITAL® architecture. Through PlatformDIGITAL the company intends to help customers manage Data Gravity effects – the tendency of workloads and data to cluster⁠ – enabling scalable capacity in sites close to where data is generated.

Its footprint extends across more than 300 facilities in over 50 metropolitan areas globally. The business also markets a “Powered Base Building” model – shell capacity with power and fibre provisions ready for fit‑out by customers.

Being carrier-neutral, not favouring any single network or cloud operator, gives customers choice and encourages peering and interconnection. That flexibility makes Digital Realty a core component of data centre operator strategies around the world.

Financial discipline, leasing momentum and capital structure

In the first quarter of 2025 the company reported revenues of about US$1.4bn, net income of US$106m, and Core Funds From Operations (Core FFO) of US$1.77 per share. It increased its full‑year Core FFO guidance to US$7.05–7.15 per share.

By the second quarter, it delivered US$1.49bn in revenue, net income of US$1.02bn and Core FFO of US$1.87 per share. Renewal rate increases and bookings in the 0–1 MW and interconnection segments underpinned that strength.

President and CEO Andy Power says: “Record bookings in our 0–1 megawatt plus interconnection product set underscore the strength of our full spectrum strategy and the breadth of the growing demand for digital infrastructure.”

Leases that renewed in Q2 saw a 7.3% uplift on a cash basis. At quarter end the signed‑but‑not‑commenced lease backlog stood at US$826m.

The company is also leveraging capital markets. In mid‑2025 it priced a €850m (US$980.8m) senior note issue due 2034 with a 3.875% coupon, intending to use proceeds for property acquisitions, refinancing and development funding.

A key capital innovation is its U.S. Hyperscale Data Center Fund. With more than US$3bn in limited partner commitments by mid‑2025, Digital Realty serves as general partner and retains operational control of assets contributed. Through that structure it can recycle capital, de‑risk development funding and scale hyperscale capacity.

Innovation, sustainability and European expansion

Digital Realty continues to invest in capacity and connectivity. In North America it acquired 100 acres near Atlanta for US$120m to support more than 200 MW of IT load. In Europe, it expanded its footprint in Frankfurt with an AI‑optimised sustainable facility.

In Frankfurt, the company inked a 15‑year heat reuse deal with Samson AG to channel waste heat from its FRA14 data centre into the neighbouring innovation centre, reducing fossil fuel use and enabling CO₂ savings.

Volker Ludwig, Senior Vice President and Managing Director DACH at Digital Realty notes: “The new waste heat utilisation system enables climate-friendly heat supply for our neighbour Samson and makes an important contribution to the environmental initiatives of the city of Frankfurt. Waste heat utilisation projects help us increase our energy efficiency and thus offer our customers an even more sustainable home for their innovative data and AI solutions”.

On the energy front, Digital Realty has embraced 24/7 renewable energy matching in Sweden and France as part of a project led by Vattenfall. It matches its hourly power demand with carbon‑free energy injected into grids to deliver transparency and traceability.

“24/7 matching truly demonstrates how new digital solutions and technology can provide increased transparency,” commented Andreas Regnell, Head of Strategic Development at Vattenfall.

The company has also partnered with Schneider Electric on circular economy initiatives in Europe, including battery rejuvenation and reuse of UPS and switchgear systems to reduce embodied carbon and e‑waste.

“Being a good global citizen isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good business sense,” said Fabrice Coquio, SVP and MD, Digital Realty France.

These efforts align with its broader environmental goals. In its 2024 Impact Report Digital Realty reported that it had secured 1.5 GW of renewable energy contracts and matched 185 sites with 100% renewable energy. It also holds certification for a substantial amount of sustainable building space and reduced water usage intensity in key portfolios.