Aligned Data Centers CEO Andrew Schaap says this is the first investment by this group of investors that includes MGX, BlackRock, Microsoft, Nvidia, and xAI.
Aligned Data Centers is set to be acquired in a $40 billion deal backed by the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership, a consortium of wealthy investors and technology companies including BlackRock, Microsoft and Nvidia.
Aligned – which has been in business for 12 years – currently has 5 gigawatts of capacity under management and 50 data center campuses across the Americas. The company is currently owned by Macquarie Asset Management, also a heavy investor in data centers.
Aligned Data Centers CEO Andrew Schaap said this is the first investment by this group of investors, which is referred to in a news release as “the consortium.” The Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership launched in September 2024 and includes MGX, BlackRock, Microsoft, Nvidia and Elon Musk’s xAI.
“Over the last several years, we have accelerated innovation and expanded our footprint at breakneck speed, matched only by the pace of the AI revolution. In less than a decade, Aligned has evolved into one of the largest and fastest-growing data center companies globally,” Schaap said in a LinkedIn post.
Schaap will remain with the company and the firm’s corporate headquarters will remain in Dallas, according to a statement. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
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In January, Aligned announced it won $5 billion in equity investment and $7 billion in debt commitments in a round of funding led by Macquarie. That same month, Macquarie also invested $5 billion in Applied Digital, a publicly traded data center company building capacity in North Dakota.
As demand for data center space has exploded among hyperscalers and cloud service providers, Aligned has emerged as one of the leaders in providing scalable capacity.
The company has leaned into providing solutions for customers that mitigate the power and heat required to operate the most powerful chips with “gigascale, build-to-scale, and multi-tenant enterprise solutions.”
All of those 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, according to a statement.
Aligned has also built a robust supply chain, completed strategic land acquisitions, and maintained power efficiency and reliability.
“Partnering with AIP, MGX, and GIP will accelerate our mission to empower the digital future and position Aligned at the center of the next generation of AI infrastructure,” Schaap wrote on LinkedIn. “With our new investors’ global reach, extensive resources, and deep expertise, we are poised to scale faster, innovate further, and redefine what’s possible in sustainable data center infrastructure.”
Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock, has previously said that with data centers as the bedrock of a digital economy, the AIP partnership will unlock a “multi-trillion dollar long-term investment opportunity” that will lead to economic growth, job creation and AI technology innovation.
“AIP is positioned to meet the growing demand for the infrastructure required as AI continues to reshape the global economy. This partnership is bringing together leading companies and mobilizing private capital to accelerate AI innovation and drive global economic growth and productivity,” Fink said in a statement on Wednesday. “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.”
