MDC Data Centers gets minority investment from Columbia Capital

MDC Data Centers said Sept. 2 it secured a minority investment from Columbia Capital to accelerate expansion along the U.S.-Mexico border and deeper into Mexico. The deal funds new capacity, a Querétaro interconnection hub and cable landing hubs in Cancún and Veracruz, while keeping MDC founder-controlled.

Why it matters: - Columbia Capital's backing gives MDC Data Centers capital to expand in a corridor where digital infrastructure demand is growing across the U.S. border and Mexico. - The investment supports new interconnection capacity and submarine cable access points that can shape how networks reach and route traffic between the two countries. - MDC remains founder-controlled, with Juan Salazar keeping majority ownership and the CEO role.

What happened: - MDC Data Centers announced a minority investment from Columbia Capital on Sept. 2, 2026. - The investment is meant to support MDC's next phase of growth across its U.S. border markets and inside Mexico. - Columbia Capital is a communications and infrastructure investment firm. - Two directors will join MDC's board in connection with the deal: Patrick Hendy, a Columbia Capital partner, and Bill Cook, founder and former CEO of Summit IG and current chairman of BIG Fiber, Xenith IG and CENTRA Digital.

The details: - The funding will help MDC add capacity at its U.S. border data centers. - MDC also plans to develop its previously announced interconnection hub in Querétaro. - The company will develop cable landing hubs in Cancún and Veracruz. - MDC has been selected as the neutral landing partner for the MANTA submarine cable system at the Mexican landing sites. - MDC said its management team and operating model will remain unchanged. - MDC operates eight data centers and nine border crossings in McAllen, Laredo, Eagle Pass, El Paso, Nogales and San Diego. - The company connects more than 60 networks across the corridor. - MDC has additional projects in development in Brownsville, Texas, Querétaro, Cancún and Veracruz. - Columbia Capital was founded in 1989, has invested in more than 175 companies and manages about $9 billion in assets. - Columbia Capital is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.

Between the lines: - The investment deepens a strategy built around neutrality, which matters in interconnection because carriers and networks often prefer partners that do not compete with them. - Juan Salazar framed the deal as a way to keep pace with customer demand while preserving MDC's neutral operating posture. - Patrick Hendy said MDC's footprint sits at the intersection of the U.S. and Mexican digital economies and has 15 years of customer trust behind it.

What's next: - MDC will use the new capital to expand border capacity and advance its Mexico projects. - The company is expected to keep building out interconnection infrastructure on both sides of the border as demand develops. - The new board directors will participate as MDC enters its next growth phase. - MDC and Columbia Capital did not disclose the size of the investment.