Deals

Vespertec, a Stockport-based technology company specialising in data centre and AI infrastructure, has secured a £1.8m export contract to Kenya.

The contract was supported by UK Export Finance (UKEF), the government’s export credit agency.

Vespertec more than doubled its turnover in 2025 and is seeing rising international demand for its data centre and AI infrastructure expertise.

Steve Evans, director of finance at Vespertec, said: “Demand for data centre and cloud infrastructure is growing rapidly across Africa, and this project reflects the trust international partners place in UK engineering and delivery capability.

“Support from UK Export Finance has helped us pursue opportunities of this scale and complexity, and to build on relationships that have developed over time.”

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UKEF provided a Standard Buyer Loan Guarantee (SBLG) to Apple Bank on behalf of Atlancis, a Kenyan-based cloud services firm.

The loan was arranged by Apple Bank’s UK servicer, AF Capital. This financial backing enabled Atlancis to purchase high-performance hardware and systems from Vespertec.

The contract represents another milestone in Vespertec’s collaboration with UKEF, following earlier support that enabled the company to enter African markets for the first time in 2022.

Chris Bryant, Minister of State for Trade, said: “Vespertec’s success in Kenya is exactly the kind of British export story we want to see more of.

“As global demand for AI and data centre infrastructure accelerates, we’re making sure innovative UK businesses have the tools they need to seize those opportunities and win contracts abroad.”

Tim Reid, CEO at UK Export Finance, said: “This deal shows how UK expertise in AI and data centres is in demand across Africa, and how government-backed finance can help innovative British companies like Vespertec to compete and win on the global stage.”

Daniel Njuguna, co-founder and CEO at Atlancis Technologies, said: “Thanks to the loan secured with UKEF’s guarantee, we are able to procure products and services from a trusted, reliable, first-class UK partner.”

Over the last financial year, UKEF provided a record £14.5 billion in new financing, helping over 667 UK companies to export and grow, supporting up to 70,000 jobs.