EXA Infrastructure

What EXA Infrastructure does

EXA Infrastructure is a London-headquartered wholesale digital infrastructure platform and portfolio company of I Squared Capital, founded in 2021 to consolidate and expand a pan-European fibre network inherited from predecessor assets. The company operates one of Europe's largest dedicated fibre footprints — 174,500 km across 37 countries, 500+ optical Points of Presence, 270+ colocation sites, and 22 cable landing stations — anchored by 8 wholly owned transatlantic subsea cables and a unique pipeline-embedded route across southern Europe (Trans Adriatic Express joint venture). Its flagship EXA Express cable holds the lowest-latency transatlantic fibre route commercially available, with under-60ms New York-to-London connectivity, and the EXA Financial Network connects 25+ financial exchanges across Europe and North America.

The product portfolio is organised around four pillars plus specialised offerings: Infrastructure (dark fibre and IRUs), Transport (wavelengths, optical spectrum, Ethernet, and Managed Fibre Network on a 400Gbps-enabled platform), Colocation (including submarine cable landing stations and edge facilities), and Technical Services (project management, CLS design-build-operate, and network outsourcing). Proprietary technology features include Corning Low Loss/Ultra Low Loss fibre, Ciena WaveLogic and Infinera ICE optical platforms, Flexgrid deployment, and 24/7 NOC monitoring with five-metre defect-location precision.

Revenue is generated exclusively through B2B wholesale contracts: recurring IRU leases, dark fibre rentals, transport service subscriptions, colocation fees, and project-based technical services, with pricing quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customers cluster into five segments — Service Providers, Cloud/Content/Tech, Financial Markets, Government, and Enterprise — with named exposure to hyperscalers (8 of 10 Forbes top digital companies), HFT trading firms, international carriers, broadcasters, gaming platforms, and emerging Satellite/LEO providers. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales with a Channel & Partner Solutions reseller programme and active sponsorship of major industry events (Capacity Europe, PTC, NANOG, Submarine Networks EMEA). The company is privately held under I Squared Capital with no public listing.

Name

EXA Infrastructure

Legal name

EXA Infrastructure Ltd.

Website

https://exainfra.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

EXA Infrastructure operates Europe's largest dedicated digital infrastructure platform, with 174,500 km of fibre across 37 countries and 8 transatlantic subsea cables. The wholesale B2B provider delivers dark fibre, transport, colocation, and managed network services to hyperscalers, financial institutions, cloud providers, carriers, and governments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications Infrastructure

NAICS

Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Terrestrial Long-Haul Fiber Backbone Operators (Intercity/Interstate) (HDAIALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Subsea Cable System Owners & Consortia (Wet Plant Investment) (HDAIALAA), Subsea & Terrestrial Backhaul to Data Centers and Cloud On-Ramps (IX/DC Interconnect) (HDAIALAJ), Subsea Capacity Wholesale (IRUs, leased capacity, backhaul to landing stations) (HDAIAEAI), Cross-Border Terrestrial Fiber Corridors & International Terrestrial Gateways (HDAIALAH)

Keywords

• Wholesale fiber infrastructure
• Dark fiber services
• Subsea cable networks
• Colocation services
• Transatlantic connectivity

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Infrastructure Services: Dark fiber leases and Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU) arrangements providing organisations with maximum scalability and control over owned network infrastructure. Services include bespoke duct and cable infrastructure for exclusive use, high fibre count, highly secure and highly available networks for datacentre and enterprise clients.
2. Transport Services: Wavelength services (10Gbit/s to 100Gbit/s with Ethernet, SDH and OTN presentations), Optical Spectrum Services (bulk transport in excess of 2TBit/s, 10-100% of a fibre pair), and Ethernet services (50Mbit/s to 3Gbit/s). Services available across terrestrial and subsea fiber infrastructure spanning 500+ PoPs.
3. Colocation Services: Fully customized space and power solutions including industry-standard cabinets and cages, bespoke land and power packages, remote hands and eyes services, and comprehensive cabling services at colocation facilities across Europe and North America.
4. Technical Services: Project management, service management, submarine services (CLS design-build-operate, landing party agreements, permitting), first line maintenance, and network outsource services for international customers operating networks outside their home territories.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EXA Infrastructure owns and operates a 174,500 km pan-European and transatlantic fiber optic network spanning 37 countries, providing wholesale digital infrastructure services including dark fiber leases, wavelength/spectrum/Ethernet transport, colocation at data centers and cable landing stations, and engineering/technical services. The platform connects 500+ points of presence and 8 subsea cables to hyperscalers, carriers, financial institutions, and content providers.

Product overview

EXA Infrastructure operates a platform-plus-modules architecture offering mission-critical digital infrastructure services across four core product pillars: Infrastructure (dark fibre), Transport (wavelength, spectrum, and Ethernet connectivity), Colocation (data centre and cable landing station facilities), and Technical Services (engineering and network outsourcing). These core services are complemented by specialized offerings including the EXA Financial Network (EFN) for financial trading connectivity, and Channel & Partner Solutions for reseller engagement. The company's network platform comprises 174,500 km of fibre across 37 countries, anchored by strategic assets such as EXA Infrastructure Express (ultra-low latency transatlantic cable under 60ms NY-London), the Trans Adriatic Express (TAE) joint venture, and 22 cable landing stations. The portfolio was significantly expanded through the 2025 acquisition of Aqua Comms, adding subsea cable systems AEC-1, AEC-2, CC-1, CC-2, and a stake in Amitié, strengthening transatlantic and intra-European connectivity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EXA Financial Network (EFN): Dedicated infrastructure platform connecting financial exchanges across North America and Europe, offering ultra-low latency connectivity and exchange connectivity services.
• Trans Adriatic Express (TAE)

Products and services

• Infrastructure (Dark Fiber) Provides wholly owned dark fibre infrastructure including metropolitan fibre footprints, intercity routes, and pan-continental subsea cables with low splice losses and optimal ILA spacing. Supports over 25Tbit/s per fibre pair with Raman technology and uses Corning Low Loss and Ultra Low Loss fibre on new routes. For organisations seeking maximum scalability and control of their network.
• Transport Services Suite of Wavelength (10Gbit/s to 100Gbit/s), Optical Spectrum (2-25TBit/s bulk transport), and Ethernet (50Mbit/s to 3Gbit/s) services providing scalable bandwidth and low-latency connectivity across Europe, the Atlantic, and North America. Includes Managed Fibre Network (MFN), Ultra Low Latency, and 400Gbps-enabled optical platform. For bandwidth-intensive services and applications.
• Colocation Colocation facilities across Europe and North America seamlessly integrated into EXA's owned fiber network. Offers customized space and power solutions including industry-standard cabinets, cages, and bespoke 'land and power' packages. Includes 22 submarine Cable Landing Stations (CLSs) and Edge colocation facilities with remote hands/eyes services. Ideal for Edge node applications.
• EXA Financial Network (EFN) Dedicated connectivity platform for financial markets connecting 25 financial exchanges in Europe and North America. Offers lowest latency transatlantic fibre connection (under 60ms NY to London), eight diverse Transatlantic routes, and high-performance, diversified connectivity engineered for trading operations including investment banks, retail banks, corporate banks, challenger banks, trading firms, HFT firms, market data providers, and exchanges.
• Technical Services Engineering and services support including project management, service management, submarine services (CLS design-build-operate, landing party agreements, permitting), first line maintenance, and network outsourcing. Enables international businesses to operate networks outside their home territories, leveraging over 20 years of operational experience.
• EXA Infrastructure Express Strategic transatlantic subsea cable offering the absolute lowest latency fibre connection between North America and Europe — under 60ms from New York to London. A 4,600 km high-performance subsea fibre route, marketed as the fastest transatlantic route available.
• Trans Adriatic Express (TAE) Joint venture with Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP) providing low-latency fibre optic infrastructure between Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Spans 1,138 km total route from Bari to Kipoi with 106 km Adriatic subsea crossing, using G.652D fibre with 36 optical fibre pairs, 0.19 db/km attenuation, and 12 ILA shelters for embedded reliability.

Quantifiable outcome

• Network availability of 99.995%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic, secondary and minor.

• Aqua CommscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 December 2025Acquisition completed on December 31, 2025. Aqua Comms, an Ireland-based subsea cable operator, brings ownership of AEC-1, AEC-2, CC-1, CC-2, and stake in Amitié cable system. Transaction strengthens transatlantic connectivity with 8 fully diverse routes and 22 cable landing stations, valued at approximately £34 million (~$46-54 million).
• FiberSensestrategicTechnology or Integration · 4 November 2025Partnership for deployment of FiberSense's DigitalAsset™ monitoring service across EXA's fiber network in Italy. Uses vibration sensing and AI analytics to detect activity along fiber routes, enhancing security and operational resilience.
• ConexiosecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 October 2025Acquisition of Conexio's long-haul duct assets in Serbia including 860km of ducts, existing cables, and 15 PoP locations. Transaction enhances strategic internet infrastructure connecting Western Europe with Balkans, Greece, and Turkey.
• Global Communication Net AD (GCN)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2024Agreement to acquire Bulgarian telecommunications provider GCN, adding over 2,500 km of fibre optic infrastructure and access to key international connection points in South-Eastern Europe. Transaction expected to complete in late 2024/Q4 2024.
• Ciena CorporationstrategicTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing optical networking solutions for network expansion, including the new Ashburn-Atlanta route. Ciena provides WaveLogic technology for 400G-enabled services.
• InfinerastrategicTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing optical platform technology alongside Ciena, enabling intelligent, feature-rich connectivity across network footprint with ICE technology.
• Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture for Trans Adriatic Express (TAE) - 1,138 km fiber optic infrastructure installed alongside gas pipeline between Italy, Albania, Greece, and Turkey. Provides low-latency route with embedded reliability.
• UltranetsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgreement to build 175km fiber route between Milan and Genoa in Italy, enhancing network resilience and data transmission capacity by connecting key landing stations.
• SOCAR FibersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic agreement supporting SOCAR Fiber's expansion targets and strengthening regional communication infrastructure with fiber network over global access networks.
• NokiastrategicTechnology or IntegrationStrategic agreement to expand international connectivity network capabilities with modernized network supporting data center connectivity with significantly lower cost and power per bit for AI era demands.
• LancomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership shaping robust digital future for the region with EXA's dedication and expertise.
• Grid TelecomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic cooperation enabling total solutions for customers by leveraging extensive experience and expertise in infrastructure and international network expansion.
• NJFXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership establishing EXA presence at NJFX colocation campus, enabling customers to leverage low latency routes to major connectivity hubs avoiding legacy chokepoints.
• Bulk Fiber NetworksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership connecting US to Nordics on Havfrue subsea cable and to EXA's extensive network.
• Hurricane ElectricminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership demonstrating commitment to customer success and creating collaborative ecosystem where connectivity can thrive.
• FibreConnectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing strategic fiber optic connectivity backbone connecting Rome to Milan with EXA's strong presence in Italy and pan-European network.
• GÉANTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGN4-3N project partnership with commitment to delivering for large-scale demanding projects with can-do attitude and range of solutions.
• WIOCCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpanded partnership enabling harness of EXA's robust transport routes to Europe through Portugal on high-capacity network to strengthen Africa's global connectivity.
• BDx (Big Data Exchange)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership positions BDx as Asia's gateway into Europe and North America through EXA Infrastructure's network, combining Asia-Pacific data centre services with hyperscale internet backbone.
• ClaranetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with world-class infrastructure partner helping customers modernise, secure and operate critical applications, data and infrastructure.
• IslalinkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for challenging submarine cable landing endeavor with confidence in EXA's strong presence in Italy, nationwide fiber network, and expertise in terrestrial infrastructure deployment.
• EnetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivering highest quality bandwidth connections from Dublin to major cities across Europe and North America, positioning Ireland as prime connectivity hub.
• Digital RealtyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership establishing Crete as major connectivity hub, bridging critical connectivity gaps in Mediterranean and positioning Greece as strategic gateway for data traffic.
• TeraswitchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership upgrading to 400GE to meet growing customer demands and strengthen position in global market, with EXA's reliability and innovative approach.
• IOEMA Fibre LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLanding Partnership for UK landing point in Leiston, linking to one of Europe's largest infrastructure footprints increasing connectivity solutions diversity and reach.
• ArubaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAruba opened facility at Rome campus with partnership establishing points of presence, capturing traffic from southern Italy, Balkans, and North Africa.
• SparkleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Rome campus with submarine cables landing at facility, establishing presence at strategic connectivity hub.
• ArelionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Rome campus establishing points of presence at strategic hub for connectivity.
• Telecom EgyptminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership positioning Egypt as critical global digital gateway through strategic collaboration on subsea and terrestrial infrastructure.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Zayo Group: Zayo operates one of the largest independent fiber networks in North America and Europe with extensive wavelength, dark fiber, and lit services for carriers, hyperscalers, and enterprises. Directly comparable to EXA in business model (wholesale B2B fiber), target customer mix, and dark fiber/wavelength product portfolio.
• Telxius (Telefónica infrastructure): Telxius operates a global subsea cable network (BRUSA, Marea, Dunant, Grace Hopper) and terrestrial fiber assets, focusing on wholesale capacity for hyperscalers and carriers. Directly comparable to EXA's subsea cable ownership model and wholesale IRU/spectrum business, with overlap on transatlantic systems like Marea and Dunant.
• Aqua Comms: Aqua Comms was an Ireland-based subsea cable operator (AEC-1, AEC-2, CC-1, CC-2, Amitié) recently acquired by EXA Infrastructure. Prior to the acquisition, it was a directly comparable subsea capacity wholesaler on transatlantic and intra-European routes serving the same hyperscaler and carrier customer base.
• Colt Technology Services: Colt owns a pan-European and transatlantic IQ Network providing on-demand bandwidth, wavelength, and Ethernet services to enterprises, carriers, and hyperscalers. Closely comparable to EXA in B2B wholesale connectivity, subsea/transatlantic routes, and financial services focus via Colt's PrizmNet and market data connectivity.
• Arelion (formerly Telia Carrier): Arelion operates one of the world's largest Tier-1 IP backbones and a global fiber footprint including subsea capacity, serving carriers, content providers, and hyperscalers. Directly comparable wholesale carrier with similar wholesale transit, wavelength, and Ethernet service portfolio across Europe and transatlantic.
• euNetworks: euNetworks owns and operates a dense metropolitan and long-haul fiber network across Western Europe, focused on bandwidth-intensive services for hyperscalers, carriers, and financial markets. Directly comparable to EXA's European footprint, product mix (dark fiber, wavelengths, spectrum), and customer segments.
• Lumen Technologies: Lumen's global infrastructure services division operates a large intercity and subsea fiber network, offering wavelength, dark fiber, and managed network services to carriers and hyperscalers. Directly comparable wholesale fiber business serving the same hyperscale and enterprise customers as EXA, with overlapping transatlantic capacity.

Broad incumbents

• Equinix: Equinix is the largest global colocation and interconnection provider with extensive cross-connect ecosystems in major financial and cloud hubs, and increasingly offers Equinix Fabric and network services. Comparable to EXA's colocation pillar (270+ sites) and data center interconnect business, though operating at much broader scale and with different primary economics.
• Digital Realty: Digital Realty operates a global platform of colocation and hyperscale data centers with PlatformDIGITAL and Service Exchange interconnection. Overlaps with EXA's colocation and DCI capabilities, though as a much larger, publicly-traded incumbent with broader data center focus rather than wholesale fiber specialization.
• Vodafone Carrier Services (now Liberty Networks Europe): Vodafone's carrier services division operated a global subsea and terrestrial wholesale portfolio serving carriers, hyperscalers, and mobile operators, with significant transatlantic capacity (TGN-Atlantic). Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping wholesale connectivity, though as part of a much larger telecom group rather than a pure-play fiber platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/exainfra
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCo-oodc-Sk9ZClDrtdTvkMA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/exa-infrastructure

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors13 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EXA Infrastructure