Technology giant Microsoft, BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), and MGX have come together to make investments in new and expanded data centers to meet growing demand for computing power in wake of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) boom, as well as energy infrastructure to create new sources of power for these facilities.
They have formed a group named Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership (GAIIP) for this purpose, which will initially seek to unlock US$ 30 billion of private equity capital over time from investors, asset owners, and corporates, which in turn will mobilize up to US$ 100 billion in total investment potential when including debt financing.
According to a press release, these infrastructure investments will be chiefly in the United States fueling AI innovation and economic growth, and the remainder will be invested in U.S. partner countries. This partnership will support an open architecture and broad ecosystem, providing full access on a non-exclusive basis for a diverse range of partners and companies. NVIDIA will support GAIIP, offering its expertise in AI data centers and AI factories to benefit the AI ecosystem. GAIIP will also actively engage with industry leaders to help enhance AI supply chains and energy sourcing for the benefit of its customers and the industry.
“We are committed to ensuring AI helps advance innovation and drives growth across every sector of the economy,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “The Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership will help us deliver on this vision, as we bring together financial and industry leaders to build the infrastructure of the future and power it in a sustainable way.”
“Mobilizing private capital to build AI infrastructure like data centers and power will unlock a multi-trillion-dollar long-term investment opportunity,” said Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock. “Data centers are the bedrock of the digital economy, and these investments will help power economic growth, create jobs, and drive AI technology innovation.”
“There is a clear need to mobilize significant amounts of private capital to fund investments in essential infrastructure. One manifestation of this is the capital required to support the development of AI,” said Bayo Ogunlesi, Chairman and CEO of Global Infrastructure Partners. “We are highly confident that the combined capabilities of our partnership will help accelerate the pace of investments in AI-related infrastructure.”
His Highness Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of MGX, emphasized the importance of AI for the future of our economies, saying, “Artificial intelligence is not just an industry of the future, it underpins the future. Through this unique partnership, we will enable faster innovation, technological breakthroughs and transformational productivity gains across the global economy. The investments we make today will secure a more sustainable, prosperous and equitable future for all mankind.”
According to Gartner Research, AI software spending will grow to US$ 297.9 billion by 2027. Over the next five years, market growth will accelerate from 17.8 percent to 20.4 percent in 2027, at a Compounded Average Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19.1 percent. Meanwhile, according to Statista, the size of the AI market in the United States was expected to grow well beyond US$ 200 billion in 2030. This is following a steady growth since 2023, when the market stood at nearly US$ 90 billion.
