Menlo Equities Furthers its Commitment to Data Centers with the Formation of Menlo Digital, a Dedicated Operating Platform Focused on Digital Infrastructure

Rhea-AI Summary

Menlo Equities has announced the formation of Menlo Digital, a dedicated data center platform, marking a significant expansion in the digital infrastructure sector. The new platform builds on Menlo Equities' 30+ years of real estate investment experience and 25+ years in the data center sector.

Menlo Digital's portfolio includes 14 operational facilities and an extensive development pipeline across major U.S. markets. Key developments include 225 MW of capacity in Northern Virginia and Phoenix (2026 delivery), 350 MW across multiple sites (2027-2028 delivery), and a strategic partnership with NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) enabling up to 400 MW development with potential to exceed 1 GW.

The platform is led by three veteran Menlo Equities partners: Kevin Kujawski (President/COO), Michael Johnston (CIO), and Jane Vaughan (CDO), supported by an experienced senior leadership team.

Positive

• Strategic partnership with NRG Energy enabling development of up to 400 MW, potentially exceeding 1 GW
• Extensive development pipeline of 575 MW across major U.S. data center markets
• Established portfolio of 14 operational facilities in key markets
• Experienced leadership team with average 20+ years tenure

Negative

• Significant capital expenditure required for planned developments
• Entering highly competitive data center market with established players

News Market Reaction

-1.31%

1 alert

-1.31% News Effect

On the day this news was published, NRG declined 1.31%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

MENLO PARK, Calif., July 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Menlo Equities, a leading private real estate investment and development firm, announced the launch of Menlo Digital, a dedicated data center platform. With 30+ years of real estate investment experience and 25+ years in the data center sector, Menlo Digital builds on Menlo Equities' legacy of executing complex, high-value projects across the United States. The new platform focuses exclusively on the acquisition, development, and operation of mission critical digital infrastructure to meet the accelerating demands of hyperscalers, AI platforms, colocation and interconnection providers, and enterprise users.

Rick Holmstrom, Menlo Equities' Founder and Executive Chairman, noted, "We are in the midst of a secular change with the digitization of the economy and the ongoing adoption of cloud and AI technology. Menlo Equities has been an active investor in the data center space since the late 1990s, and we believe the opportunity in front of us warrants the creation of a dedicated platform with focused resources to service this fast-growing and rapidly evolving asset class."   

Since 1998, when Menlo Equities developed its first data center in Santa Clara, the firm has assembled a portfolio of stabilized data centers and a development pipeline spanning major U.S. data center markets including Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley, Phoenix, Dallas, Portland, Chicago, and Richmond. In addition to its 14 operational facilities, Menlo Digital is executing on a robust development pipeline and market expansion strategy that includes:

• 225 MW of capacity across hyperscale campuses in Northern Virginia and Phoenix, delivering in 2026
• 350 MW in development across additional sites in Northern Virginia, Richmond, Silicon Valley and Dallas delivering in 2027 and 2028
• A newly announced strategic partnership with NRG Energy, enabling development of up to 400 MW, with the potential to exceed 1 GW across future phases

Menlo Digital is led by three current Menlo Equities Partners, Kevin Kujawski, Michael Johnston, and Jane Vaughan, with an average tenure of over 20 years - bringing deep institutional knowledge, trusted industry relationships, and a proven ability to execute at scale:

Partner Group

• Kevin Kujawski, Partner, President and Chief Operating Officer, leads operations and capital markets.
• Michael Johnston, Partner and Chief Investment Officer, oversees the sourcing and acquisition of new investments, and overall portfolio and asset management.
• Jane Vaughan, Partner and Chief Development Officer, leads power procurement, entitlements, facility design and development.

Other Senior Leadership Team Members

• TJ Ciccone, Senior Vice President, manages technical design and infrastructure development and oversees critical facility operations. TJ joined Menlo Digital in 2025 and has over 15 years of experience in data center operations and facilities management, previously working at STACK Infrastructure, CoreSite, Amazon Web Services, and Digital Realty. TJ has a long track record of working closely with tenants throughout the technical design and construction process through facility occupancy and stabilization.
• Chris Coleman, Senior Vice President, manages hyperscale leasing strategy and execution across the portfolio. Chris joined Menlo Digital in 2025 after spending 14 years at Digital Realty leading various sales and leasing groups where he was most recently responsible for hyperscale leasing for the Americas.
• Allison Koo, Senior Vice President, manages development projects from site acquisition to energization to completion of facility construction. Allison has been with Menlo Equities since 2023 and spent the previous 12 years leading development activities at Sand Hill Property Company managing projects that included complex entitlement and construction throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Headquartered in Menlo Park, Menlo Digital will also operate out of offices that will be established in Northern Virginia and Phoenix.

"With the launch of Menlo Digital, we are deepening our commitment to this asset class and positioning ourselves to deliver best-in-class facilities for a new era of digital growth. With our presence in the primary U.S. data center markets and unique ability to procure power at scale, Menlo Digital is ideally placed to partner with global hyperscalers and large enterprises to meet low latency requirements for continued growth of the public cloud and the inference rollout of AI technologies," said Kevin Kujawski, President of Menlo Digital.

About Menlo Equities

Menlo Equities is a vertically integrated commercial real estate investment and development firm headquartered in Menlo Park, with additional offices in Newport Beach, Austin, and Santa Clara. Founded in 1994, the firm buys, builds, owns, and manages mission critical properties located in the most vibrant innovation driven markets in the United States. Menlo Equities employs an investment approach that focuses on value creation through opportunistic acquisitions, selective development, and rigorous asset and property management. Since inception, Menlo Equities has acquired or developed $9.7 billion of assets covering 161 properties in the data center, R&D/lab, life science, office, and industrial assets through multiple targeted investment platforms. For more information, please visit www.menloequities.com and www.menlo-digital.com.

Media Contact
press@menlo-digital.com

+1.650.326.9300

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SOURCE Menlo Equities

FAQ

What is the strategic partnership between Menlo Digital and NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG)?

The partnership enables Menlo Digital to develop up to 400 MW of data center capacity, with potential to exceed 1 GW across future phases.

How many operational data centers does Menlo Digital currently have?

Menlo Digital currently operates 14 facilities across major U.S. data center markets including Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley, Phoenix, Dallas, Portland, Chicago, and Richmond.

What is Menlo Digital's development pipeline for 2026-2028?

The pipeline includes 225 MW of capacity in Northern Virginia and Phoenix (2026 delivery) and 350 MW across Northern Virginia, Richmond, Silicon Valley and Dallas (2027-2028 delivery).

Who are the key leaders of Menlo Digital?

Menlo Digital is led by three partners: Kevin Kujawski (President/COO), Michael Johnston (CIO), and Jane Vaughan (CDO), each with approximately 20 years of experience.

When did Menlo Equities enter the data center sector?

Menlo Equities has been active in the data center space since 1998, when they developed their first data center in Santa Clara.