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Investors Buy Data Centers for AI
Coverage from Reuters, Yahoo, and others
Articles
10
Active Days
64
The Topic
Infrastructure investors are committing substantial capital to data centers as demand shifts toward high-density, lower-latency AI workloads. I Squared Capital agreed to buy 10 Cogent facilities for $225 million and plans to invest another $1 billion, while a consortium led by AIP, MGX, and BlackRock’s GIP completed the approximately $40 billion purchase of Aligned and committed $5 billion for growth. The transactions expand investor control over sites with existing power, connectivity, and expansion potential, while making grid access, cooling, and deployment timelines increasingly important.
First Article: 05/26/26
Latest Article: 07/28/26
Summary
- I Squared Capital agreed to acquire 10 Cogent facilities for $225 million, covering about 53 MW and 259,000 square feet across nine U.S. markets.
- I Squared plans to commit an additional $1 billion to upgrades, customer-led expansion, and further acquisitions, with the Cogent transaction expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
- A consortium comprising AIP, MGX, and BlackRock’s GIP completed the approximately $40 billion acquisition of Aligned Data Centers.
- The Aligned consortium committed another $5 billion to expand a platform with 51 campuses and more than 6.4 GW of operational and planned capacity across the Americas.
- Both transactions emphasize assets with existing power and connectivity, reflecting the difficulty of adding new supply in constrained markets.
- High-density AI deployments are increasing attention on liquid cooling, water use, energy efficiency, and grid resilience.
History
The main update is that the story now includes fresh execution details: the Cogent deal has a reported third-quarter 2026 closing target, and the Aligned transaction is now framed around a larger operational footprint with 51 campuses across the Americas. The broader framing also shifts toward resource constraints such as grid access, cooling, and deployment speed.
The story broadened from a single Cogent asset sale into a larger wave of AI infrastructure investment, highlighted by the completed Aligned acquisition and fresh expansion capital. The new framing is that investors are not just buying existing capacity, but actively scaling AI-ready platforms across multiple markets.
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Timeline: 64 Days
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