The Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), MGX, and BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) announced they will acquire 100% of the equity in Aligned Data Centers from private infrastructure funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management and its co-invest partners. The transaction implies an Aligned enterprise value of approximately USD 40 billion and is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

Strategic Partnership Formation

AIP was founded by BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), MGX, Microsoft, and NVIDIA to expand capacity of AI infrastructure and help shape the future of AI-driven economic growth. The partnership's financial anchor investors include the Kuwait Investment Authority and Temasek. The transaction represents AIP's first investment and marks an important step towards its initial target of mobilizing and deploying USD 30 billion of equity capital, with the potential of reaching USD 100 billion, including debt.

The consortium brings deep expertise and capabilities across AI and digital infrastructure. This includes AIP's strategic partnership group and ability to form capital at scale, MGX's leading global investment focus on AI and advanced technologies, and GIP's long track record as a leading infrastructure investor with experience owning and operating complex infrastructure assets worldwide.

Aligned Data Centers Operations

In less than a decade, Aligned has evolved into one of the largest and fastest-growing data center companies globally. The company designs, builds, and operates cutting-edge data campuses and data centers for premier hyperscalers, neocloud, and enterprise innovators. Aligned's portfolio includes 50 campuses and more than 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity, including assets under development.

The company's facilities are primarily located in key Tier I digital gateway regions across the U.S. and Latin America, including Northern Virginia, Chicago, Dallas, Ohio, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Sao Paulo (Brazil), Queretaro (Mexico), and Santiago (Chile). Aligned will remain headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and continue to be led by CEO Andrew Schaap and the existing leadership team.

Technology and Innovation Platform

Aligned's rapid expansion has been fueled by strong execution and operating capabilities under its experienced management team. The company has consistently met hyperscalers' complex requirements, working hand-in-hand with customers to stay agile and innovate around their evolving needs. Aligned's Gigascale, Build-to-Scale, and Multi-Tenant Enterprise solutions leverage patented and patent-pending air, liquid, and hybrid cooling systems to deliver maximum adaptability and support evolving high-density AI workloads, even in energy-constrained regions.

The company benefits from a robust supply chain, strong partnerships, strategic land acquisitions, and energy enablement, all of which drive leading efficiency and reliability. Aligned also has access to multiple sources of capital, providing financial flexibility for future growth. The company holds over 50 patents for award-winning cooling technology and maintains an expedited path to energy and land enablement to support demanding AI, High-Performance Computing (HPC), and cloud workloads.

Executive Leadership Perspectives

Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock and Chairman of AIP, stated that AIP is positioned to meet the growing demand for infrastructure required as AI continues to reshape the global economy. He emphasized that the partnership brings together leading companies and mobilizes private capital to accelerate AI innovation and drive global economic growth and productivity.

Ahmed Yahia Al Idrissi, Managing Director and CEO of MGX and Vice Chairman of AIP, described the investment as entering a new era where AI will fundamentally reengineer economies and enable accelerated growth. He noted that compute infrastructure at scale will be foundational to that progress, with the investment directing scalable capital to an operator built for efficiency and growth.

Bayo Ogunlesi, Chairman and CEO of Global Infrastructure Partners, emphasized that AI is reshaping every sector of the global economy. He stated that combining Aligned's scalable, adaptable platform with AIP's capital and capabilities will build infrastructure to support innovation at scale, creating resilient, sustainable communities and unlocking transformative growth worldwide.

Andrew Schaap, CEO of Aligned Data Centers, said the partnership with the consortium will accelerate the company's mission to deliver infrastructure powering tomorrow's digital economy. He highlighted that with AIP, MGX, and GIP's global reach, extensive resources, and deep expertise across AI, energy, and finance, Aligned is positioned to scale faster, innovate further, and redefine possibilities in sustainable data center infrastructure.

Future Growth and Investment Strategy

The consortium's investment will equip Aligned with the capital and strategic support needed to accelerate growth and meet rising demand for scalable, sustainable digital infrastructure. Backed by the consortium, Aligned will accelerate the expansion of its footprint, drive further innovation, and continue delivering next-generation data center solutions.

The transaction will fuel the expansion of next-generation cloud and AI infrastructure. With Aligned's strong customer relationships, presence in key strategic digital hubs, and proven management team, the company is positioned to anchor AIP's vision for the future of AI infrastructure. AIP has become one of the world's leading AI infrastructure platforms with the addition of xAI, the Kuwait Investment Authority, and Temasek.

It also partners with Cisco and has agreements with GE Vernova and NextEra Energy to accelerate the scaling of energy solutions for AI data centers.

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