Dallas-Fort Worth-based Aligned Data Centers will be acquired in a deal valued at $40 billion — one of the largest such transactions of the year and the biggest ever for a data center company, the group said.
The Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership, MGX and BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners announced they will acquire 100% equity in the Plano-based firm from private infrastructure funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management and its co-investment partners.
The purchasing investment consortium is backed by BlackRock, Microsoft and Nvidia.
Related
The company will keep its headquarters in the Dallas area. Aligned CEO Andrew Schaap and the existing team will continue to lead the firm.
The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026. This is AIP’s first investment, part of plans to deploy $30 billion of equity capital, with the potential of reaching $100 billion, including debt.
Schaap told The Dallas Morning News Wednesday that the deal had been in the works for several months. The capital investment will allow Aligned to continue its growth in North Texas and expand into new markets.
“When were hear about AI, we think about these West Coast companies … this investment shows that the foundational layer that’s supporting AI and technological growth is happening right here in our backyard in Texas,” the executive said.
“I’m a Dallas, Texas guy. …I’ve got my boots. I’ve got my hat,” he added.
Aligned Data Centers, which specializes in AI data center infrastructure for hyperscale and enterprise customers, raised a total of $12 billion in capital in January.
The firm operates 50 data center campuses across North and South America with 5 gigawatts of capacity in operation or development, according to its website.
Aligned has about 119 employees in Texas and two data centers in Plano. Another data center in Mansfield is expected to finish construction in 2026.
Bloomberg was the first to report on the possibility of a deal earlier this month.
This is the latest of eye-popping deals tied to the AI boom. Bloomberg reports that Aligned was one of the companies represented at a meeting with Trump administration officials on speeding the development of AI and related infrastructure.
It also marks the second D-FW-based firm GIP owns. GIP and KKR & Co. took data center company CyrusOne in a 2021 deal, valuing the company at about $15 billion.
Demand for data center space in Dallas continues to soar. North Texas is the nation’s second-largest data center market with 1.5 gigawatts of capacity. Northern Virginia is the largest market, according to an August report from JLL.
“This partnership is bringing together leading companies and mobilizing private capital to accelerate AI innovation and drive global economic growth and productivity,” Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock and chairman of AIP, said in a statement.
“With this investment in Aligned Data Centers, we further our goal of delivering the infrastructure necessary to power the future of AI, while offering our clients attractive opportunities to participate in its growth.”
First Appeared on
Source link
