Aligned Data Centers, a leading provider of digital infrastructure, has successfully secured over $12 billion in funding to support its ambitious expansion plans. The company announced that it raised $5 billion in new primary equity and secured an additional $7 billion in debt commitments. This capital infusion will drive the development of more than 5GW of data center capacity across the Americas.
Key Investors Fuel Aligned’s Expansion
The equity portion of the funding comes from funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management, along with several other unnamed global investors with extensive experience in digital infrastructure. Aligned’s CEO, Andrew Schaap, expressed confidence that the funds would help accelerate the company’s growth, catering to the soaring demand for AI and cloud computing services.
“We appreciate the commitment of our esteemed investors as we capitalize on the significant growth opportunities presented by the increasing demand for AI and cloud services,” said Schaap. “This investment will fuel our continued growth, enabling us to deliver cutting-edge solutions for our customers.”
Macquarie’s Continued Investment in Digital Infrastructure
Macquarie Asset Management has a longstanding partnership with Aligned, having first invested in the company in 2018. The firm remains the largest shareholder in Aligned, a testament to the company’s ability to consistently deliver growth and value. Anton Moldan, senior managing director at Macquarie, highlighted that the deal was a strong endorsement of Aligned’s successful track record and customer-focused culture.
“The partnership and strong demand from some of the world’s leading digital infrastructure and technology investors reflect Aligned’s proven ability to innovate and grow,” Moldan stated.
Aligned’s Expanding Global Footprint
Aligned operates a growing network of data centers across major U.S. markets, including Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Northern Virginia. The company has further expansion sites under development in Maryland, Ohio, Illinois, and Virginia. In addition to its U.S. operations, Aligned made significant strides in international markets by acquiring OData, a LATAM-based data center provider, in May 2023. This acquisition expanded Aligned’s footprint to Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico.
The company also made strategic investments in QScale, a Canadian data center firm, further reinforcing its commitment to global expansion.
Rising Demand for Digital Infrastructure and AI Services
As digital transformation accelerates globally, the demand for high-performance compute capabilities, particularly for AI applications, continues to surge. Aligned is poised to meet this demand with the planned expansion of its data center capacity. The funding will support the development of state-of-the-art infrastructure that can handle the increasing load from cloud computing, AI, and other data-intensive services.
“With the underlying trends of digitization, cloud adoption, and evolving needs of high-performance compute and AI applications, we see significant opportunity to provide Aligned’s customers with world-leading data center solutions,” said Moldan.
Aligned’s Strategic Investor Base
In addition to Macquarie Asset Management, Aligned’s investor base includes several prominent players in the global investment community. Notably, the Mubadala Investment Company, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund, acquired a minority stake in Aligned in 2023. The investment firm CenterSquare Investment Management also took part in the previous funding round, further diversifying the company’s financial backing.
Aligned’s investors are part of a broader trend of heavy investment in data centers, particularly those catering to high-demand sectors like AI, cloud, and digital infrastructure.
Global Investments in Digital Infrastructure
Macquarie Asset Management is a key player in the global data center space, having invested in various major infrastructure projects. The firm has also jointly owned AirTrunk, an APAC data center operator, and holds stakes in several other data center operators worldwide, including Virtus in the UK and NTT’s European and North American facilities.
Earlier this week, Macquarie invested $900 million in Applied Digital’s AI data center campus in North Dakota, which could rise to $5 billion. These investments reflect Macquarie’s strong belief in the future of digital infrastructure and AI-powered applications.
FAQ
1. What is the purpose of Aligned’s $12 billion funding? The funding will support Aligned’s expansion by building more than 5GW of new data center capacity across the Americas and international markets. This growth targets the increasing demand for AI, cloud services, and high-performance computing.
2. Who are the major investors in Aligned? Aligned’s key investors include Macquarie Asset Management, the Mubadala Investment Company, and CenterSquare Investment Management, among others. These investors bring significant experience in digital infrastructure.
3. Where does Aligned operate its data centers? Aligned operates data centers in major U.S. cities such as Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Northern Virginia. The company is also expanding in international markets, including Latin America and Canada.
4. What does Aligned’s expansion mean for the data center industry? Aligned’s expansion reflects the growing demand for high-performance compute and AI applications. The company’s new facilities will provide cutting-edge solutions to meet this demand, further advancing digital infrastructure.
5. How does Macquarie Asset Management contribute to Aligned’s growth? Macquarie Asset Management has been a long-term investor in Aligned, contributing to its financial backing and supporting its expansion through various funding rounds. The firm also holds stakes in other data center operators globally.
