14th annual conference and awards
TMT Finance EMEA 2026
Accelerating Smart Investment in
Digital Infrastructure
Digital Infrastructure
28 - 29 January 2026 | Convene 133 Houndsditch, London
Agenda
08:55-09:05
TMT Finance Editorial View: Transaction outlook for 2026
The TMT Finance editorial team present deal data and pipeline for the EMEA market in 2025. A detailed breakdown of announced and expected M&A and equity deals across all digital infrastructure asset classes.
09:05-09:20
Opening Ministerial Keynote Address
The European Commission will outline the roadmap for policy and capital deployment in digital infrastructure. This presentation will provide a clear update on:
- The Commission’s efforts to roll out high-speed connectivity and the adoption of the Digital Networks Act on the road to an integrated single market
- How the Draghi Report’s recommendations will shape digital infrastructure competitiveness and cross-border M&A
- Progress toward the 2030 targets of the Digital Decade Policy Programme, particularly those regarding digital sovereignty
- How public-private collaboration can mobilise the private capital needed to establish world-class AI Gigafactories
09:20-09:35
Headline Interview: How are sponsors deploying differentiated pools of capital across digital infrastructure?
09:35-10:15
Digital Infra Leaders: How consolidation and capital rotation is restructuring the sector's value equation
- Which digital infra sectors are outperforming on value creation and yields?
- How are valuation resets reshaping investor expectations?
- How are operators and investors adapting strategies as capital becomes more selective?
10:15-10:55
M&A Leaders Panel: Strategics or sponsors - who's in the driving seat for transactions in 2026?
- What trends are reshaping transaction structures?
- How are buyers pricing growth v. defensive acquisitions?
- Are we seeing renewed confidence in asset synergies and/or platform expansion?
11:40-12:20
Datacentre Leaders Panel: How are we sourcing capital to fund the next phase of growth?
- What datacentre financing models will gain prevalence in Europe?
- Are private credit, sovereign wealth, and infrastructure funds crowding into the same datacentre deal pool?
- Is ultra-high leverage the future of datacentre financing?
- How are investor mandates evolving to reflect AI and sustainability trends?
12:20-13:00
Fibre Leaders Panel: What's the next chapter in the wholesale fibre monetisation story?
- M&A execution – integrating pan-European fibre platforms
- Are traditional dark fibre routes still attractive to private capital?
- What new approaches are providing key differentiations and re-drawing battle lines?
- Are asset-light SPVs or NetCo carve-outs proving more effective?
14:00-14:20
Behind the Deal
An opportunity to unpack one of the year’s most significant digital infrastructure transactions – including the key milestones, strategic decisions and innovative approaches. Expect a view of the value creation thesis and financing structures behind the deal.
14:00-14:40
Panel: Build, buy or backtrack - strategic forks in German fibre
- Is M&A picking up or plateauing?
- How is refinancing risk impacting operator strategy?
- Is capital reallocation and M&A signalling a shift from build to buy?
- How are investors pricing operator performance?
- Do 1 Euro transactions mark opportunistic entry points or market distress?
14:00-14:40
Executive Boardroom: How are the numbers stacking up for the CEE tower market?
- What benchmarks are being used to assess emerging portfolios?
- How are investors weighing asset control against yield?
- How is tenancy maturity affecting debt sizing and exit multiples?
14:20-14:40
Fireside Chat: Building AI at scale - what makes a Neocloud investable?
A view from a Neocloud provider on emerging business models, finance structuring and short to mid-term outlook. This fireside chat will explore:
- GPUaaS, PAYG chip rental – what are the benefits of the different models?
- What are the emerging GPU cloud capital structures?
- Are Hyperscalers direct clients, or will there be intermediaries?
- How are providers mitigating stranded capacity risk?
14:40-15:20
Panel: How are Hyperscale leases rewriting the financing playbook?
- How are lease length and renewal options shifting in response to the surge in AI-driven demand?
- How are localisation strategies evolving to meet tenant and regulatory demands?
- What offtake structuring trends are shaping lease and financing negotiations?
14:40-15:20
Panel: Is Spanish fibre entering a new investment cycle?
- How are minority stake sales in JVs influencing valuation benchmarks?
- What are the impacts of recent shifts in competitive dynamics?
- How will CNMC deregulation alter debt terms, equity valuations, and deal timing
14:40-15:20
Executive Boardroom: How are investors building multi-asset portfolios?
- What portfolio synergies are LPs and GPs actively seeking?
- How are funds investing across datacentres, fibre and towers? And how are they expanding to other asset classes such as power?
- How are strategies influencing valuation and exit optionality?
- Are integrated plays outperforming single-asset strategies?
15:20-16:00
Panel: What's fuelling the new tower M&A wave?
- What are the barriers for tower roll-ups in urban areas?
- Will small cell deployments attract strategic acquisition interest from tower investors?
- Is integration between tower and fibre infrastructure unlocking new acquisition opportunities?
- What is the broadcast tower opportunity and outlook?
12:35-13:15
Panel: What will define value creation for French fibre in 2026?
- What lessons have been learnt from 2025 refinancing?
- Where will the next carve-outs emerge?
- What will drive the next wave of consolidation?
- Are investors favouring wholesale-only platforms, integrated telco carve-outs, or public-private structures?
15:20-16:00
Executive Boardroom: Re-engineering the capital stack - is securitisation Europe's datacentre future?
- How are rating agencies adapting to the nuances of datacentre cash flows and construction risks?
- Which datacentre assets are being packaged into securitisation structures?
- Can European assets match the scale needed?
- CMBS v. ABS – which is more suitable for Europe?
16:20-17:00
Panel: How are we rethinking altnet value in the UK?
- Are lenders and sponsors aligned on what a sustainable altnet model looks like?
- How are risk models being recalibrated for fibre operators in 2026?
- How are customer take-up and operational KPIs being priced in exit valuations?
- Is the Telecoms Access Review (TAR) helping or hindering rollout and investment?
17:00-17:40
Closing Panel: Beyond IPOs, what exit alternatives will suit digital infra platforms best in 2026?
- How are operators balancing long-term customer strategies with investor exit horizons?
- What constitutes ‘exit-ready’?
- What do investors most value from operators when assessing secondary opportunities?
- What role will partial exits play?
