Wireless communications infrastructure company Vertical Bridge has secured a $1.5 billion investment from private equity firm KKR.

The investment will support Vertical Bridge's future growth, as KKR becomes the latest investor in the infrastructure company.

Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC is the largest private owner and operator of wireless communications infrastructure in the US and has a nationwide portfolio of more than 17,000 towers.

“This transaction provides us with the resources to continue developing our portfolio at scale while maintaining our disciplined, returns-focused approach to capital deployment,” said Ron Bizick, president and CEO of Vertical Bridge.

“We are pleased to have KKR as an experienced, long‑term investor as we expand our platform, advance organic development, and selectively pursue M&A opportunities that strengthen our portfolio, while continuing to deliver the agile, customer‑focused approach that defines Vertical Bridge.”

KKR has invested more than $40 billion in digital infrastructure globally to date, including tower companies Vantage Towers in Europe and Pinnacle Towers in the Philippines, plus in past investments such as Telxius and Hivory Towers.

Waldemar Szlezak, global head of digital infrastructure at KKR, noted that further opportunities around 5G and Edge mean there's a need for more wireless infrastructure.

“The convergence of 5G densification, Edge compute, and surging data demand is creating a structural need for more and better located wireless infrastructure,” said Szlezak.

“Vertical Bridge has built a scaled, high-quality tower platform with a strong track record of execution and a differentiated, partnership-oriented approach, all underpinned by a best-in-class management team."

The investment from KKR comes a couple of months after Vertical Bridge announced that it successfully issued $1.94bn of tower revenue notes.

Digital Bridge has owned a controlling stake in Vertical Bridge since 2021, while La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is also a significant investor in the group. Japan's SoftBank agreed to buy DigitalBridge for $4bn in late December.

“Vertical Bridge’s disciplined growth strategy, operational excellence, and focus on partnership have consistently positioned the company to meet increasing demand for communications infrastructure," added Marc Ganzi, CEO of DigitalBridge. "We remain confident in the platform and committed to supporting the team as they continue to scale.”

Last year, Vertical Bridge completed its $3.3bn acquisition of more than 6,000 towers from Verizon.