Aligned Data Centers, a key player in AI-related infrastructure, announced on Wednesday that it had successfully completed a capital raise totaling more than $12 billion. The funding aims to support the growing demand for specialized data centers, driven by the massive computing power requirements of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
Breakdown of the Capital Raise
The capital raise includes $5 billion in new primary equity, with funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management, and over $7 billion in new debt commitments. This significant funding boost will enable Aligned to expand its operations and develop new capacity for AI infrastructure.
Strategic Use of Funds
The proceeds from the capital raise will primarily be directed toward Aligned’s ambitious plans to develop more than 5 gigawatts of data center capacity across North America, Canada, and Latin America. These data centers will be essential in supporting the increasing demands of AI, which require vast amounts of computing power to link thousands of chips into large-scale clusters for processing.
AI’s Impact on Data Center Demand
The surge in AI adoption, from business applications to consumer products, has created a massive market for data centers. Companies ranging from startups to industry giants like Microsoft and Blackrock are heavily investing in the infrastructure necessary to support AI technologies. This has led to a broader trend of significant capital investments in AI data centers.
For example, Microsoft recently committed to spending approximately $80 billion in fiscal 2025 to develop data centers to support AI models and cloud applications. Similarly, in September, Microsoft and Blackrock announced a joint initiative to establish a $30 billion fund aimed at developing AI infrastructure and related energy projects.
Broader Trends in AI Infrastructure Investment
The demand for AI infrastructure is creating opportunities for both established players and new entrants in the space. One such example is Crusoe, an AI infrastructure startup that secured $600 million in a funding round last month, which brought its valuation to $2.8 billion.
