The Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), MGX, and BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) have announced the acquisition of Aligned Data Centers from Macquarie Asset Management and co-invest partners in a landmark deal valuing the company at approximately $40 billion. The transaction marks a major step toward expanding global AI and cloud infrastructure to meet surging demand from hyperscalers and enterprises.
AI Infrastructure Consortium Expands Its Reach
The consortium — comprising BlackRock, GIP, MGX, Microsoft, and NVIDIA — formed AIP to build and scale advanced AI infrastructure globally. Financial backers include the Kuwait Investment Authority and Temasek, underlining strong institutional confidence in AI-driven infrastructure growth.
This acquisition is AIP’s first major investment, forming part of its goal to deploy $30 billion in equity capital, with potential to reach $100 billion when leveraged with debt.
Aligned: A Fast-Growing Data Center Powerhouse
Founded less than a decade ago, Aligned Data Centers has become one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing data center operators, serving hyperscalers, cloud providers, and enterprise clients. The company operates 50 campuses with over 5 gigawatts (GW) of operational and planned capacity across key markets in the U.S. and Latin America — including Northern Virginia, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, and São Paulo.
Aligned’s patented air, liquid, and hybrid cooling technologies enable high-density AI workloads even in energy-constrained regions, a critical advantage as data centers face mounting energy efficiency and sustainability demands.
Boosting AI Infrastructure Amid Global Demand Surge
According to Morgan Stanley, major technology players such as Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and CoreWeave are expected to spend $400 billion on AI infrastructure in 2025. The acquisition of Aligned aligns with this trend, positioning the consortium to meet soaring global demand for computing capacity, AI inferencing, and data processing.
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said, “With this investment in Aligned Data Centers, we further our goal of delivering the infrastructure necessary to power the future of AI.”
Strengthening the Data Center Ecosystem
The deal underscores investor confidence in the long-term value of data centers. Industry experts highlight that AI-driven workloads are reshaping digital infrastructure, driving multi-gigawatt-scale campus developments such as Meta’s “Prometheus” and “Hyperion” data centers.
Aligned’s CEO Andrew Schaap and his leadership team will continue to lead the company from its Dallas, Texas headquarters. The consortium’s backing will accelerate Aligned’s innovation roadmap, operational footprint, and strategic land and energy investments.
AIP’s Strategic Vision
The acquisition anchors AIP’s vision to create a global AI infrastructure network combining expertise from top-tier investors and technology leaders. AIP’s access to capital, combined with MGX’s AI-focused investments and GIP’s operational excellence, positions Aligned to play a pivotal role in enabling the next generation of AI computing and digital transformation.
Rajani Baburajan
