Ara Partners Acquires Centric Fiber, a Fast-Growing Fiber-to-the-Home Platform in North America

BOSTON, Nov. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ara Partners, a global private equity and infrastructure investment firm focused on industrial decarbonization, is pleased to announce the acquisition of a majority controlling stake in Centric Fiber, an established bulk fiber-to-the-home platform in the southern United States. Ara completed this transaction in partnership with Centric Fiber's management team, building on a highly successful previous collaboration that spanned between 2018 and 2021.   

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Centric Fiber has established a leading position in contracted fiber-to-the-home high-speed internet services for large single-family master planned communities. Centric Fiber partners with prominent developers and builders to provide fiber services to residential customers across Texas, Florida, and Arizona. Ara Infrastructure has committed additional capital to support the execution of Centric Fiber's significant pipeline of contracted projects and backlog, as well as new growth opportunities.

Fiber-optic technology is estimated to be up to 90% more energy efficient than traditional cable or coaxial infrastructure, offering a highly scalable solution to the growing carbon footprint of the digital universe. This transaction underscores Ara Infrastructure's commitment to building resilient, efficient assets that are the backbone of a lower-carbon economy.

"We believe that low-carbon infrastructure will be critical in enabling the unconstrained growth of the digital economy," said George Yong, Partner and Co-Head of Ara Infrastructure. "Fiber stands out as a practical solution due to its substantial energy efficiency gains over legacy systems and ability to deliver future-ready connectivity. Centric Fiber's infrastructure-friendly model and deep growth pipeline make it a strong fit with Ara's builder-oriented approach."

"We are at a pivotal time in the digital revolution, and we believe that Centric Fiber is uniquely positioned to meet the growing connectivity needs of American communities in a future-proof and energy efficient manner," said Robert Barnwell, CEO of Centric Fiber. "We are thrilled to join forces once again with Ara Partners and look forward to realizing our shared vision of the future."

Ara was advised by Kirkland & Ellis LLP and RBC Capital Markets. Centric was advised by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Guggenheim Securities, LLC.

About Ara Partners

Ara Partners is a global private equity and infrastructure investment firm focused on industrial decarbonization. Founded in 2017, Ara Partners seeks to build and scale companies with significant decarbonization impact across the industrial and manufacturing, chemicals and materials, energy efficiency and green fuels, and food and agriculture sectors. The company operates from offices in Houston, Boston, Washington D.C., and Dublin. As of June 30, 2025, Ara Partners had approximately $6.6 billion of assets under management.

For more information about Ara Partners, please visit www.arapartners.com.

About Centric Fiber

Headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, Centric Fiber is a leading provider of next-generation fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband infrastructure serving master-planned communities, multi-family developments, and mixed-use projects in Texas, Florida, and Arizona. Built on a fully integrated platform encompassing network design, construction, operations, and dedicated customer experience for subscribers, Centric Fiber has established itself as a trusted infrastructure partner for some of the nation's premier developers operating in the fastest growing new home markets. Its differentiated model - engaging early in the land planning process and aligning connectivity with community development - creates enduring value for both residents and developers and strategic advantages for continued growth. The company's platform combines deep industry expertise, scalable operations, and a developer and customer-first approach to provide its developer partners and subscribers with the fastest, most reliable digital infrastructure available today.

Media Contact:
Jane Merkler
Ara Partners
jane@arapartners.com

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