The Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), Abu Dhabi-based technology investor MGX, and BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) have completed the acquisition of 100% of the equity in Aligned Data Centres from private infrastructure funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management, in a transaction representing an enterprise value of approximately USD 40 billion – one of the largest private investments ever made in digital infrastructure.
Aligned, which will remain headquartered in Dallas, Texas under CEO Andrew Schaap and its existing management team, operates 51 campuses with more than 6.4 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity, concentrated across major US digital gateway markets including Northern Virginia, Chicago, Dallas, Ohio, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City, as well as São Paulo, Querétaro, and Santiago.
In connection with closing, the consortium has committed an additional USD 5 billion in growth capital to fund Aligned's continued expansion. The transaction marks AIP's first investment and an important milestone toward its initial target of mobilising USD 30 billion in equity capital, with the potential to support up to USD 100 billion in total investment including debt.
Gulf Economist Staff Writer