Digital Realty Enters Bulgaria with Acquisition of Highly Connected Interconnection Hub in Sofia
Rhea-AI Summary
Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR) entered Bulgaria by acquiring Telepoint, adding two Sofia data centers including one facility with more than 110 unique network service providers and multiple cloud on‑ramps. The move expands PlatformDIGITAL® into Southeast Europe and links Sofia to Digital Realty’s Athens, Heraklion, and Zagreb footprint.
Sofia hosts >340 network points of presence and close to 200 unique networks, strengthening regional interconnection, subsea/terrestrial traffic flows, and AI infrastructure routing between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Positive
- Two data centers acquired in Sofia, expanding regional footprint
- >110 unique network service providers in one highly interconnected facility
- Sofia hosts >340 POPs and ~200 unique networks, boosting connectivity reach
- PlatformDIGITAL gains dense neutral interconnection ecosystem in Southeast Europe
Negative
- Purchase price and specific financial terms not disclosed
- No company guidance provided on near‑term revenue or cost impacts
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
DLR was up 0.47% with key data/communications REIT peers also positive: EQIX +2.77%, AMT +3.06%, CCI +3.43%, SBAC +4.03%, and IRM +0.06%, suggesting a supportive sector backdrop alongside the Bulgaria acquisition news.
Previous Acquisition Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10 | European acquisition | Positive | +1.5% | Acquisition of Slough data center campus expanding European colocation footprint. |
Limited acquisition history in the sample shows a prior European data center purchase in Slough coinciding with a modest positive +1.52% one-day move.
Recent news shows Digital Realty executing a consistent growth and capital-raising strategy. A 4Q25 earnings release reported strong revenue and FFO metrics, while an S-3ASR shelf and ATM program support financing for acquisitions and development. The company has been expanding its geographic footprint, including a data center purchase in Slough (Jul 10, 2024) and an agreed entry into Malaysia (Jan 19, 2026). The new Sofia acquisition extends this expansion into another strategic interconnection hub.
Historical Comparison
In the past 18 months, DLR’s sampled acquisition news (e.g., Slough campus) produced an average one-day move of +1.52%, indicating historically modest but positive reactions to expansion deals.
Acquisition activity has broadened Digital Realty’s European presence from a Slough colocation campus to additional strategic hubs, with the Sofia deal continuing the theme of connectivity-focused expansion across key regional markets.
Regulatory & Risk Context
Digital Realty has an effective S-3ASR shelf filed on 2026-02-17, allowing issuance of common and preferred stock, depositary shares, warrants and debt securities over time. Shelf usage includes at least one 424B5 prospectus supplement for an at-the-market equity program, providing flexibility to fund acquisitions, development projects and general corporate purposes.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement highlights Digital Realty’s continued strategy of expanding PlatformDIGITAL® into high-connectivity hubs, with Sofia adding more than 110 network service providers and access to a dense regional ecosystem. Historically, acquisitions such as the Slough campus produced modest positive reactions around +1.52%. Investors may focus on how this deal leverages existing Mediterranean routes, interacts with the broader European footprint, and is financed under the current shelf and ATM structures, alongside overall earnings and FFO trends.
Key Terms
carrier-neutral technical
data center technical
interconnection technical
network points of presence technical
ai technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
LONDON, March 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR), the world’s largest cloud- and carrier-neutral data center platform, today announced its entry into Bulgaria, establishing a new market presence in Sofia, one of Southeast Europe’s most important emerging interconnection hubs.
Digital Realty’s entry into the market is enabled through the acquisition of Telepoint, a leading local data center and interconnection provider. The transaction includes two data centers in Sofia, including one of the most highly interconnected facilities in Southeast Europe, with more than 110 unique network service providers and multiple cloud on-ramp deployments.
“Sofia is a thriving hub for connectivity in Southeast Europe,” said Paula Cogan, Managing Director EMEA, Digital Realty. “Bringing Bulgaria into our global portfolio allows us to offer customers even more ways to connect, collaborate, and scale their businesses. This expansion strengthens and complements our interconnection platform and helps customers reach end users faster, while tapping into a market that’s growing rapidly and attracting innovation.”
Sofia is a major aggregation point for regional and international connectivity. The city hosts more than 340 network points of presence and close to 200 unique networks1, placing it among the leading Southeast European markets for international internet bandwidth and traffic growth. These characteristics continue to attract new network, cloud, and content deployments serving Southeast Europe.
Sofia plays a central role in the Eastern Mediterranean connectivity corridor and complements Digital Realty’s presence in Athens, Heraklion, and Zagreb. New subsea cable systems landing in Greece optimize traffic flows into Southeast Europe, with Sofia acting as the primary interconnection hub for onward distribution across the region. Increasing volumes of traffic from the Middle East and Asia are routed terrestrially into Sofia, reinforcing the city’s role as one of Europe’s strategic gateways to the Middle east.
As AI adoption accelerates across Europe and the Middle East, Sofia’s strategic position along key terrestrial and subsea routes strengthens its role as a vital hub for AI infrastructure, enabling efficient data movement and supporting cross-border inference workloads.
The acquisition strengthens PlatformDIGITAL®, Digital Realty’s global data center platform, bringing a dense, neutral interconnection ecosystem to Southeast Europe and giving customers direct access to one of the region’s most established interconnection communities, with seamless connectivity across Digital Realty’s broader European and Mediterranean footprint.
About Digital Realty
Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation, and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL®, the company’s global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data meeting place and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx®) solution methodology for powering innovation, from cloud and digital transformation to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges. Digital Realty gives its customers access to the connected data communities that matter to them with a global data center footprint of 300+ facilities in 55+ metros across 30+ countries on six continents. To learn more about Digital Realty, please visit digitalrealty.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X.
For Additional Information
Media Contacts
Will Reynolds
Digital Realty
+44 7469 695775
wreynolds@digitalrealty.com
Investor Relations
Jordan Sadler / Jim Huseby
Digital Realty
+1 (214) 231-1350
InvestorRelations@digitalrealty.com
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially, including statements related to the acquisition of Telepoint, operations in Europe, customer demand and expectations for the European region, access to subsea cables, the company’s strategy, customer demand and expected benefits. For a list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports and other filings by the company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.