A consortium backed by BlackRock and Abu Dhabi-based MGX has closed the $40 billion acquisition of Aligned Data Centers, marking the largest data center transaction in history and one of the biggest private investments ever made in digital infrastructure.[reference:6][reference:7]
The Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), MGX, and BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) acquired 100% of Aligned's equity from private infrastructure funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management and its co-invest partners.[reference:8][reference:9] The transaction reflects an enterprise valuation of approximately $40 billion for the Texas-based data center operator.[reference:10][reference:11]
In connection with the closing, the consortium has committed an additional $5 billion of growth capital to fund Aligned's continued expansion and scale-up of AI-ready capacity.[reference:12][reference:13] The investment group aims to deploy $30 billion of equity capital initially, with the potential to reach $100 billion, including debt.[reference:14][reference:15]
Aligned is one of the world's largest and fastest-growing data center developers, with a portfolio spanning 51 campuses and more than 6.4 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity globally.[reference:16][reference:17] Its assets are concentrated in key Tier I digital gateway regions across the United States, including Northern Virginia, Chicago, Dallas, Ohio, Phoenix and Salt Lake City, as well as São Paulo, Querétaro and Santiago.[reference:18][reference:19]
The company is globally recognized for its patented cooling technologies that materially reduce water usage and enhance energy efficiency for data center deployments.[reference:20][reference:21] Aligned's Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Schaap, and the existing management team will continue to lead the company, which will remain headquartered in Dallas, Texas.[reference:22][reference:23]
AIP was established to mobilize long-term capital at scale and convene global technology leaders in support of next-generation AI infrastructure.[reference:24][reference:25] This transaction represents AIP's first investment and an important step toward its initial target of mobilizing and deploying $30 billion of equity capital, with the potential to support up to $100 billion of total investment, including debt.[reference:26][reference:27]
The acquisition adds to a wave of investment in digital infrastructure as companies rapidly expand computing capacity for AI tools and workloads.[reference:28] With the consortium's support, Aligned will continue expanding its footprint to deliver cutting-edge infrastructure, innovating next-generation sustainable digital infrastructure, and creating local jobs and workforce development opportunities in the communities it serves.[reference:29][reference:30]
