In a major move underscoring the growing convergence of artificial intelligence and infrastructure, BlackRock’s newly formed AI infrastructure consortium has agreed to acquire Aligned Data Centers in a deal valued at approximately $20 billion. The acquisition, one of the largest ever in the data center sector, marks the consortium’s first major transaction and signals the increasing importance of data infrastructure in the AI age.
According to people familiar with the matter, BlackRock is leading a group of investors in purchasing Aligned Data Centers from Macquarie Asset Management, a global leader in infrastructure investment. This massive transaction highlights both the surging demand for AI-capable data centers and BlackRock’s commitment to positioning itself at the forefront of next-generation technology investments.
Aligned Data Centers, headquartered in Texas, operates high-performance data centers across North America. The company is known for its focus on scalability, sustainability, and energy efficiency—factors that are becoming critical as artificial intelligence applications drive skyrocketing computing demands. Aligned’s infrastructure is especially well-suited to support AI training and inference workloads, making it a strategic asset for any investor eyeing long-term exposure to AI growth.
This acquisition is part of a broader trend in which major financial institutions and tech-forward investors are rapidly pouring capital into digital infrastructure. As the AI revolution accelerates, data centers are becoming the backbone of innovation, enabling everything from generative AI to autonomous systems and real-time analytics.
BlackRock’s AI infrastructure initiative aims to build a portfolio of assets that support the expanding global AI ecosystem. This purchase establishes a strong foundation and could pave the way for future deals in cloud infrastructure, high-performance computing, and power-efficient data center technologies.
While neither BlackRock nor Macquarie commented publicly on the transaction’s financial specifics, the reported $20 billion price tag would place this deal among the largest ever in the data center industry. It also reflects the strategic value investors now place on facilities capable of powering AI workloads at scale.
This move by BlackRock comes as other major players like Oracle and Nvidia are ramping up their data center efforts, signaling fierce competition and robust investment in the AI infrastructure space.
With this deal, BlackRock is making a clear bet: AI is not just transforming industries—it’s also redefining what it means to invest in the infrastructure of tomorrow.
