Dallas, Texas / Global — A consortium of leading tech and investment firms — including NVIDIA, Microsoft, BlackRock, and xAI — has agreed to acquire Aligned Data Centers in a deal valuing the company at $40 billion. Dallas Innovates+4Reuters+4Reuters+4
The transaction would be the largest data center acquisition in history. global-infra.com+5Financial Times+5Reuters+5
Details of the Deal & Structure
- The consortium is organized under the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), which was founded by BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), Microsoft, and NVIDIA, and now includes additional backers like MGX and xAI. Financial Times+3global-infra.com+3Data Center Frontier+3
- It will acquire 100 % equity in Aligned Data Centers from Macquarie Asset Management and its co-investors. Reuters+3global-infra.com+3Dallas Innovates+3
- The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals and customary conditions. global-infra.com+3Reuters+3Reuters+3
- The consortium plans an initial equity deployment of $30 billion, with potential expansion (including debt) toward $100 billion in total investment. Data Center Frontier+5Reuters+5Reuters+5
About Aligned Data Centers
- Aligned operates 50 data center campuses across the U.S. and Latin America, with approximately 5 gigawatts of combined operational and planned capacity. Dallas Innovates+4Reuters+4Tom’s Hardware+4
- The company designs, builds, and manages infrastructure for large cloud providers, hyperscale clients, and enterprise users. Tom’s Hardware+3global-infra.com+3Reuters+3
- Aligned will remain headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and its existing leadership — including CEO Andrew Schaap — will continue at the helm post-deal. WTVB 1590 AM & 95.5 FM+3Reuters+3AP News+3
Strategic Implications
- This deal underscores the intensifying race to secure the physical infrastructure backbone for artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Data Center Frontier+4Reuters+4Financial Times+4
- By bringing together capital, technology, and infrastructure firms under one umbrella, the consortium aims to accelerate AI-grade data center scale. Data Center Frontier+3Financial Times+3Tom’s Hardware+3
- The consolidation also shifts some of the infrastructure burden away from hyperscale tech companies, allowing them to lease capacity rather than fully own it.
