A consortium including BlackRock, Nvidia, Microsoft, and other major investors has agreed to purchase Aligned Data Centers in a transaction valued at approximately US$40 billion, marking one of the largest-ever deals in the data center and artificial intelligence infrastructure sector.
The consortium operates under the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), which includes BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), MGX, Microsoft, and Nvidia as founding members.
Additional backers include sovereign wealth and institutional investors such as the Kuwait Investment Authority and Singapore’s Temasek.
Under the terms of the agreement, the consortium will acquire 100 percent of Aligned’s equity from private infrastructure funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management and its co-investors.
The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
Company Profile and Scale
Aligned Data Centers, based in Dallas, Texas, operates and develops 50 campuses across the United States and Latin America, with more than 5 gigawatts of current and planned capacity.
The company serves hyperscalers, cloud service providers, and large enterprises, and has undertaken a series of expansions in North and South America in recent years. Earlier in 2025, Aligned raised more than US$12 billion in equity and debt financing to support this growth.
Following the acquisition, Aligned’s current management team, including Chief Executive Officer Andrew Schaap, will remain in place, and the company will continue to be headquartered in Dallas.
Strategic Context and Outlook
The transaction represents the first major investment by AIP, which plans to deploy about US$30 billion in initial equity capital, with the potential to expand to US$100 billion when debt financing is included.
The consortium views the acquisition as a cornerstone investment to meet accelerating global demand for high-performance infrastructure supporting AI, cloud computing, and other data-intensive applications.
BlackRock Chief Executive Larry Fink, who also chairs AIP, said the deal advances the consortium’s goal of delivering the infrastructure needed for the next generation of artificial intelligence.
The transaction comes amid a surge in AI-related capital expenditure globally, with industry analysts projecting that total infrastructure investments could reach several hundred billion dollars in 2025.
Aligned’s acquisition reflects a growing consolidation trend in the data center industry as technology and investment firms seek to secure strategic assets that underpin AI compute growth.
The deal provides the consortium with direct control over large-scale data center capacity, positioning it to serve hyperscale clients and AI developers amid soaring demand for energy-efficient, high-performance computing infrastructure.
If completed on schedule, the transaction will significantly reshape the competitive landscape for AI infrastructure, strengthening the role of major investment and technology firms in the ownership and operation of critical data assets.
It also reinforces the increasing convergence between global finance and technology sectors in the race to build and control next-generation digital infrastructure.
Also Read: Amazon Plans to Cut 15% of HR Staff Amid AI-Driven Restructuring