InfraVia, Liberty Global and Telefónica acquire Substantial Group for £2 billion through nexfibre joint venture
GBP2B
Deal Value
nexfibre's £2 billion acquisition of Substantial Group significantly expands its UK wholesale fiber-to-the-home network. This transaction accelerates the joint venture's strategic goal of connecting.
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Counterparts (5)
Buyer
Infravia Capital Partners
InfraVia Capital Partners is a leading independent European private equity firm specializing in real assets and technology investments. They focus on resilient businesses and partner with management teams to develop their businesses and drive long-term value creation through active asset management.
Liberty Global
Liberty Global is a dynamic team of operators and investors generating and delivering shareholder value through the strategic management of three platforms — Liberty Telecom, Liberty Growth and Liberty Services. Liberty Growth invests, grows and rotates capital into scalable businesses across the technology, media/content, sports and infrastructure industries.
Telefónica
Telefónica is a multinational telecommunications company that provides fixed and mobile telephony, broadband, and pay television services. It is expanding its focus on digital infrastructure and technology solutions, including data centers and cloud services.
nexfibre
nexfibre is a wholesale fiber network company in the UK, established as a joint venture between Liberty Global, Telefónica (through Virgin Media O2), and InfraVia Capital Partners. Its primary focus is to deploy and operate a new full-fibre broadband network to 5 million homes and businesses across the UK, complementing Virgin Media O2's existing network.
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Register free →Deal Analysis
nexfibre's £2 billion acquisition of Substantial Group directly expands its UK wholesale fiber-to-the-home network, accelerating the joint venture's strategic goal of connecting. This transaction consolidates a key infrastructure asset, allowing InfraVia Capital Partners, Liberty Global, and Telefónica to deepen their collective footprint in the UK digital infrastructure market. The deal provides Substantial Group, a private investment firm founded in 2017, with a substantial exit, realizing value from its infrastructure and real estate holdings. For the buying consortium, this move enhances nexfibre's operational reach and capacity across the UK.
Substantial Group, established in 2017 with a focus on acquiring and operating infrastructure businesses, achieves a £2 billion exit, aligning with its aim to create long-term value. InfraVia Capital Partners, a leading independent European private equity firm specializing in real assets, integrates a resilient telecom business into its portfolio through this deal. Liberty Global, managing its Liberty Telecom platform, sees this acquisition as a direct expansion of its strategic management within the UK. Telefónica, a multinational telecommunications company, continues its expansion into digital infrastructure, aligning with its evolving focus. nexfibre, as the direct acquirer and a joint venture of these three entities, solidifies its primary focus on building a comprehensive wholesale fiber network across the UK.
- £2 billion acquisition value.
- Announced on 2026-02-18.
- nexfibre, a joint venture of Liberty Global, Telefónica, and InfraVia Capital Partners, is the buyer.
- Substantial Group, founded in 2017, sells its UK wholesale fiber-to-the-home network.
- The deal expands UK wholesale fiber-to-the-home network capacity.
Timeline
Announced
Feb 18, 2026
Signed
Closed
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Global Infrastructure Sherpa