A consortium of major infrastructure and technology investors has closed its acquisition of Aligned Data Centers, one of the largest private transactions ever completed in the digital infrastructure sector, with the deal valuing the company at approximately USD 40 billion.

The Consortium and the Deal

The Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership, known as AIP, joined forces with MGX, an Abu Dhabi-based technology investment company, and Global Infrastructure Partners, a part of BlackRock, to acquire 100 percent of the equity in Aligned Data Centers.

The sellers were private infrastructure funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management and its co-invest partners. The transaction closed on July 21, 2026, and was announced via a joint press release from the consortium in Dallas, New York, and Abu Dhabi.

The deal marks a significant milestone for AIP, which was established with the explicit goal of mobilizing long-term capital at scale for next-generation AI infrastructure.

The Aligned acquisition represents AIP's first investment and is described as an important step toward its initial target of mobilizing and deploying USD 30 billion of equity capital, with the potential to support up to USD 100 billion of total investment when debt financing is included.

In connection with the closing, the consortium also committed an additional USD 5 billion of growth capital to fund Aligned's continued expansion and scale-up of AI-ready capacity.

About Aligned Data Centers

Aligned Data Centers is described as one of the largest and fastest-growing data center developers globally.

The company operates a portfolio spanning 51 campuses with more than 6.4 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity. Its assets are concentrated in key Tier I digital gateway regions in the United States, including Northern Virginia, Chicago, Dallas, Ohio, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City, as well as international locations in São Paulo, Querétaro, and Santiago.

The company holds more than 50 patents for what it describes as award-winning, water- and energy-saving cooling technologies.

These patented systems are specifically designed to materially reduce water usage and enhance the energy efficiency of data center deployments.

Aligned will remain headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Schaap and the existing management team will continue to lead the company following the change in ownership.

Strategic Rationale

The consortium characterized the transaction as one of the largest private investments made to date in digital infrastructure.

According to the parties involved, the deal is intended to provide Aligned with capabilities spanning what they described as the entire advanced compute ecosystem, along with the digital and energy infrastructure that underpins it.

The consortium said it brings together strategic insight into AI technologies, deep experience investing in and operating complex infrastructure at scale, and access to long-term capital.

The consortium's stated goals for Aligned under the new ownership structure include expanding the company's footprint to deliver infrastructure for a growing customer base, as well as continuing to develop next-generation sustainable digital infrastructure designed to meet high-density digital demands.

The partners also cited a commitment to supporting what they called U.S. technological leadership.

The closing statement emphasized that Aligned would maintain its operational independence and continue its focus on customers and communities despite the ownership transition.

Community and Workforce Commitments

As part of its ongoing plans under the new ownership, Aligned has outlined a set of commitments tied to the communities in which it operates.

These include creating local jobs and investing in local workforce development, revitalizing legacy industrial sites and converting them into technology hubs, diversifying local tax bases, and enhancing grid resilience.

The company has previously framed these activities as central to its broader mission of responsible development.

About the Consortium Partners

AIP was established with a focus on accelerating investment in next-generation AI infrastructure and advancing the innovation required to power the future of artificial intelligence.

Its structure is designed to mobilize capital from investors, asset owners, and corporations toward that goal. MGX, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, is a technology investment company that focuses on accelerating the development and adoption of AI and advanced technologies.

The firm invests across sectors where it believes AI can deliver economic impact at scale, including infrastructure, semiconductors, software, tech-enabled services, life sciences, and automation.

Global Infrastructure Partners, now a part of BlackRock following its acquisition by the asset management giant, describes itself as a leading infrastructure investor that specializes in investing in, owning, and operating some of the largest and most complex assets across the energy and infrastructure sectors.

Its integration into BlackRock's broader platform has expanded its resources for large-scale transactions of the type represented by the Aligned deal.