A government-backed export guarantee has enabled a Stockport technology firm to secure a major Kenyan infrastructure contract.
A technology company specialising in data centre infrastructure, AI computing systems, and high-performance hardware has secured a £1.8 million export contract supporting the growth of cloud infrastructure in Kenya.
Vespertec, headquartered in Stockport, won the contract with financial backing from UK Export Finance (UKEF). The agreement will see the company supply high-performance computing hardware and integrated systems to Kenyan cloud services provider Atlancis Technologies.
The deal was enabled through a Standard Buyer Loan Guarantee (SBLG) issued by UKEF to Apple Bank on behalf of Atlancis. The financing arrangement was facilitated by AF Capital, which acted as Apple Bank’s UK servicer.
This government-backed export financing structure allowed Atlancis to procure advanced data centre hardware, AI infrastructure solutions, and cloud computing systems from a UK supplier while accessing competitive funding terms.
Growing global demand for data centre and AI infrastructure
The contract reflects increasing global investment in digital infrastructure resilience, sovereign cloud services, and artificial intelligence computing capacity, particularly in emerging markets.
As countries across Africa accelerate digital transformation programmes, demand is rising for high-performance data centres, scalable cloud infrastructure, and AI-ready computing platforms. UK engineering expertise in these areas is becoming increasingly competitive internationally.
Chris Bryant, Minister of State for Trade,said the agreement demonstrates the growing importance of export support for innovative technology businesses.
“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.”
Strengthening UK–Africa digital infrastructure partnerships
The agreement builds on an existing relationship between Vespertec and Atlancis and represents another stage in their collaboration to develop sovereign cloud infrastructure and enterprise data centre capabilities in Africa.
Daniel Njuguna, Co-founder and CEO at Atlancis Technologies, said the partnership enables Atlancis to deliver cloud services to key sectors.
“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. We have a long-term strategic partnership with Vespertec, and their optimum designs and services have played an important part in our present success, delivering private and public sovereign cloud services to African Telcos, FSI and Service Providers.”
The project highlights the role of export finance mechanisms in enabling international digital infrastructure partnerships, allowing overseas buyers to access specialist UK engineering capability.
International expansion for a rapidly growing UK tech firm
For Vespertec, the Kenyan contract represents a significant milestone in its international expansion strategy. The company previously entered African markets in 2022 with earlier support from UKEF, and the latest agreement reinforces its position in the region’s cloud infrastructure and data centre technology market.
The project is also supporting growth across the firm’s UK operations and supply chain, with a substantial proportion of the equipment designed, assembled or integrated within the United Kingdom.
The contract arrives during a period of strong business growth. Vespertec more than doubled turnover in the financial year ending 2025 and was recognised in the The Sunday Times Top 100 fastest-growing private companies.
The company is also one of a limited number of NVIDIA Elite partners and received the 2025 Northern Europe Star Performer award from NVIDIA.
Steve Evans, Director of Finance at Vespertec, said the project demonstrates increasing demand for digital infrastructure expertise.
“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.”
Government export finance supporting UK technology exports
UKEF’s Standard Buyer Loan Guarantee programme enables international buyers to access finance from commercial lenders when purchasing goods or services from UK companies. The mechanism reduces risk for lenders while supporting exporters competing for complex global contracts.
Tim Reid, CEO at UK Export Finance, said the deal illustrates the global demand for British digital infrastructure capability.
“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.”
Andrew Woolfson, Partner at AF Capital, added: “AF Capital remains committed to supporting the UKEF SBLG programme. With the benefit of the UKEF guarantee, we are able to continue providing funding to Vespertec and Atlancis, ensuring that Atlancis can keep buying British – accessing high quality products from a trusted UK supplier on affordable financing terms.”
Over the last financial year, UKEF provided £14.5 billion in new export financing, helping more than 667 UK companies expand internationally while supporting up to 70,000 jobs across the UK economy.
The agreement demonstrates how export finance, data centre expertise, and international partnerships can enable UK digital infrastructure companies to expand globally while supporting cloud computing development in emerging markets.
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