Accenture to Acquire Majority Stake in DLB to Expand Capital Projects Capabilities for End-to-End Data Center Development

NEW YORK & NEPTUNE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Accenture (NYSE: ACN) signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake (65%) in US-based AI data center engineering and consulting firm DLB Associates and its affiliated companies (collectively “DLB”). The transaction will expand Accenture’s end-to-end data center capabilities in order to help software and platforms and high tech clients accelerate time to market and meet demand for the enablement of AI.

Founded in 1980, DLB is a leader in data center site selection, due diligence, design engineering, commissioning, construction quality management and energy optimization services. As a trusted partner to some of the largest and most innovative hyperscalers, emerging hyperscalers, neo-clouds and colocation providers, DLB helps clients accelerate speed to market and deliver successful outcomes through an innovative, creative and holistic approach.

Upon the closing of the transaction, DLB’s approximately 620 employees, led by David Quirk and Neil Chauhan, will join forces with Accenture‘s Industry X practice, augmenting its infrastructure and capital projects (I&CP) capabilities.

“As AI-driven demand for data center capacity accelerates, our clients increasingly face infrastructure constraints that impact their core value chains,” said Julie Sweet, chair and CEO, Accenture. “Along with DLB's deep expertise, Accenture will offer an end-to-end capability from the earliest stages of conceptual design and strategic site development through to advanced engineering, rapid deployment, and operational performance. This approach will ensure our clients can meet the ever-increasing demands of AI with speed, scale and reliability.”

DLB has also supported the development of industry standards for data centers, including co-founding the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Technical Committee TC9.9, which focuses on mission critical aspects for data centers.

“The data center industry is experiencing significant growth amid an unprecedented push for scaling and DLB is at the forefront of helping clients quickly navigate every stage of the development lifecycle,” said David Quirk, CEO, DLB. “We selected Accenture to unleash our ability to match that scale and help support clients through value creation and joint ideation for next generation AI data center—at pace.”

“We are experiencing accelerating momentum in the data center industry,” said Neil Chauhan, chief innovation officer, DLB. “Fueled by the promise of an AI-driven future, there is a collective focus and urgency to quickly provide and deploy compute at scale. Together DLB and Accenture will be well positioned to deliver on the ambitious build programs of hyperscalers, emerging hyperscalers, neo-clouds and colocation providers.”

“We are entering a new era where companies need AI-ready infrastructure that’s built rapidly, efficiently, reliably and at scale,” said Manish Sharma, chief strategy and services officer, Accenture. “Our clients are facing challenges as they execute on their scale ambitions and look to us to help them with site planning and selection, managing staffing shortages, ensuring sustainability, and protecting against cybersecurity risks. By pairing DLB’s data center services expertise with Accenture’s global reach and strengths across supply chain, procurement, construction management and technology, we plan to address client demand for more value and innovation.”

Infrastructure and capital projects, including data center development, are a growing part of Accenture’s service portfolio and global capabilities. By investing in companies like DLB, Accenture is expanding its capabilities to support clients and participate in the growth of AI infrastructure, with DLB specifically expanding its footprint in the Americas. Since 2023, Accenture has rapidly built a global presence and deep capabilities in infrastructure and capital projects. This includes key acquisitions of U.S. advisory and management company Anser Advisory and Canadian consulting and program management company Comtech. Subsequent acquisitions, including data center construction consultancy Soben in the UK, BOSLAN in Spain, Partners in Performance in Australia, IQT Group in Italy and Orlade in France, are enabling Accenture to meet evolving client demands.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of required regulatory approvals.

Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “likely,” “anticipates,” “aspires,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “positioned,” “outlook,” “goal,” “target” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance nor promises that goals or targets will be met, and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. 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