Hut 8 Mining Corp., one of North America’s largest, innovation-focused digital asset mining pioneers, supporting open and decentralized systems since 2018, has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase the cloud and colocation data center business from TeraGo Inc. (the “Data Center Business”).
Once complete, the acquisition will establish Hut 8 as a leading high-performance computing platform, providing unique positioning for the Company within the digital asset ecosystem.
The acquisition consists of five data centers across Canada with a comprehensive information technology offering that includes a complete selection of scalable cloud services. The Data Center Business spans from Toronto to Vancouver with over 36,000 square feet of geo-diverse data center space.
Existing saleable power capacity totals 4.1 MW, with a further 1.5 MW of expansion capacity available within existing shelf space in the Kelowna location. Hut 8 is acquiring customers, employees and a diverse product offering as part of the acquisition.
Transaction Rationale
This acquisition constitutes a pivotal moment in Hut 8’s positioning as an innovative and diversified player in the digital asset and high-performance computing sectors, serving to set Hut 8 apart from its peers. The transaction provides the following benefits to Hut 8:
Enhances diversification profile by establishing a broad high performance computing platform with recurring revenues and a stable cash flow profile;
Establishes a platform with approximately 400 commercial customers, across a variety of industry verticals including gaming, visual effects and government agencies, enabling Hut 8 to become the only digital asset miner with enterprise grade data center capabilities;
Provides exposure to secular tailwinds supporting the growth of the resilient data center sector and capitalizes on the acceleration of existing digitalization trends;
Creates a platform for the development of applications and services to underserved markets and customers in the growing digital asset, blockchain, gaming and web 3.0 industries;
Accelerates Hut 8’s ability to address the need for HPC (High Performance Computing) and GPU (Graphics Processing Units) compute;
Addition of more than 30 experienced data center professionals with enterprise grade data center expertise, to enhance our existing core mining operations and team;
Provides access to operating sites which are connected to electrical grids powered by significant renewables and emissions-free resources.
“As a team of Bitcoin and blockchain bulls, we are thrilled with the transformative growth opportunity this investment provides Hut 8,” said Jaime Leverton, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. “The acquisition of this complementary business diversifies Hut 8’s operations with a discrete, steady cash flow, that is uncorrelated to digital asset mining. This acquisition also puts us at the forefront of the accelerated digitization of industry, establishing us as the bridge between traditional and nascent iterations of high-performance computing. Our unconventional approach to revolutionizing conventional assets serves to drive Hut 8’s growth, innovation and market share in the high-performance computing, blockchain, and Web 3.0 industries.”
Transaction Details
Under the terms of the agreement, consideration payable to TeraGo Inc. will consist of C$30 million, to be funded from existing cash on the Company’s balance sheet. Hut 8 will retain substantially all current Data Center Business employees. The transaction has been approved by the board of directors of Hut 8 and TeraGo and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.
