A consortium led by BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), MGX, and the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP) announced plans to acquire 100% of Aligned Data Centers, valuing the company at roughly $40 billion. The deal, expected to close in the first half of 2026, signals a major push to expand cloud and AI infrastructure for hyperscalers and enterprise innovators.
Founded by BlackRock, GIP, MGX, Microsoft, and NVIDIA, AIP was created to scale AI infrastructure and drive economic growth powered by AI technologies. Its financial anchor investors include the Kuwait Investment Authority and Temasek. This acquisition marks AIP’s first investment in a portfolio expected to mobilize $30 billion in equity, potentially reaching $100 billion including debt.
Aligned Data Centers, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, has rapidly grown into one of the world’s largest data center operators in under a decade. The company operates 50 campuses with more than 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity, spanning U.S. Tier I markets like Northern Virginia, Chicago, Dallas, and Phoenix, as well as Latin American hubs including Sao Paulo, Queretaro, and Santiago.
The company’s rise has been fueled by innovative data center design and management, particularly for AI-heavy workloads. Its Gigascale, Build-to-Scale, and Multi-Tenant Enterprise solutions leverage patented air, liquid, and hybrid cooling systems to deliver high-density computing even in energy-constrained regions. Aligned’s robust supply chain, strategic land acquisitions, and strong customer partnerships underpin its efficiency, reliability, and ability to scale.
The Consortium brings complementary strengths to the table: AIP provides strategic partnership and large-scale capital formation, MGX brings global investment expertise in AI, and GIP contributes infrastructure operational experience. Together, they aim to accelerate Aligned’s footprint, fund innovation, and support the rising demand for sustainable, scalable digital infrastructure.
For the hyperscale cloud and enterprise markets, this move underscores a broader trend: the surge in AI workloads is pushing data center operators to expand aggressively, with infrastructure investments increasingly concentrated in high-density, energy-efficient, AI-ready campuses. Aligned, with its proven track record and strategic locations, appears poised to anchor AIP’s vision for the next generation of AI infrastructure.
CEO Andrew Schaap and Aligned’s existing leadership team will continue steering the company, ensuring continuity as the consortium drives expansion and innovation.
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