UK-based data center operator Lunar Digital has formed a joint venture with data center provider Asanti to expand AI and Edge infrastructure in the UK.

Lunar said that, under the partnership, its leadership team will assume operational management of the Asanti platform and apply its expertise in building and operating AI-optimized data centers. The partnership will also see increased investment from Lunar's long-term backer, Invesis.

As part of this arrangement, Lunar CEO Rob Garbutt will serve as interim managing director of Asanti. Garbutt will take over from Stewart Laing, who is retiring.

“Starting and leading Asanti since 2022 has been a privilege and honour, and I am proud of what the team has achieved and the strong position the business holds today,” said Laing. “With Rob Garbutt stepping into the managing director role and the team at Lunar Digital bringing additional expertise, now is the right time for me to retire and for Asanti to move confidently into its next phase.”

Lunar said Asanti’s facilities would extend its geographic reach, provide immediate scale, and enable the deployment of inference Edge data centers, bringing AI compute closer to users and reducing latency.

“This joint venture delivers Lunar access to Asanti’s full UK network of data centers, enabling us to extend our offering into new geographies across the country,” commented Garbutt. “My focus will be on ensuring a smooth transition while building on the strong and resilient foundations already in place across both businesses.”

In a LinkedIn post, Lunar said the two businesses combined will create "a stronger national platform capable of supporting the growing demand for high-performance, AI-driven digital infrastructure while maintaining a strong focus on operational excellence and customer service."

Asanti has a portfolio of six regional data centers across the UK, comprising two in Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh) and four in England (Manchester, Leeds, Reading, and Farnborough). The company acquired five facilities from the Daisy Group in 2023 and was acquired by Invesis.

Lunar Digital is part of the Lunar Group, founded in 2022. It operates four data centers in England, three in Manchester and one in Watford. The company also operated a site, Lunar 4, in Gaupner, Luster Municipality, Norway, but has since removed it from its website.