Ecolab said it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CoolIT Systems, a liquid cooling technology company focused on next-generation AI data centers. The transaction is intended to expand Ecolab’s Global High-Tech growth engine and strengthen its position in the data center market with a broader cooling platform.
CoolIT is expected to generate about $550 million in sales over the next 12 months. Ecolab said the acquisition is expected to accelerate Global Water’s organic sales growth rate by 2% and its total organic sales growth rate by 1%, beginning one year after closing.
CoolIT designs and manufactures liquid cooling systems for data centers, including coolant distribution units, cold plates and direct-to-chip cooling technologies. Ecolab said combining those technologies with its water, chemistry, fluid management, digital monitoring and global service capabilities will support its Cooling-as-a-Service offering for AI data centers.
Under the agreement, Ecolab will pay about $4.75 billion in cash at closing, subject to customary adjustments. The company said the acquisition will be financed with new transaction debt and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
“AI is transforming the demands on data centers, and liquid cooling is one of the critical technologies that makes advanced computing possible,” said Christophe Beck, chairman and chief executive officer of Ecolab. “By bringing together CoolIT’s engineered cooling technologies with Ecolab’s expertise in water, chemistry and digital service, we can provide our customers a complete cooling solution that improves performance and reliability while reducing water and energy use.”
