In the digital infrastructure sector, a merger and acquisition boom is underway amid the increasing popularity of artificial intelligence. This year, the value of deals for buying data center operators reached $70 billion.
One of the latest significant steps was an agreement between SoftBank and DigitalBridge, valued at $3 billion in cash. Analysts predict that growing AI integration into tech systems will require more investments, particularly in data centers and related technologies. Apart from direct deals, a significant portion of investments is directed toward enhancing data center efficiency, for example, in energy supply and cooling sectors.
Among the largest deals marking 2025 is the acquisition of Aligned Data Centers by an investor group led by Global Infrastructure Partners. The company’s valuation reached a record sum of $40 billion. In December, Google plans to spend $4.75 billion on Intersect Power to provide clean energy for its new data centers.
Other significant deals include the purchase of FläktGroup Holding by Samsung Electronics for €1.5 billion, demonstrating interest in cooling systems, which are crucial for the operation of powerful graphic processors. Also, in September, Bain’s data centers in China came under the control of Shenzhen Dongyangguang Industry for $4 billion, and in July, KKR was negotiating with the Asian provider ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, valuing it at over $5 billion.
The trend of active mergers in the digital infrastructure field indicates that companies worldwide are striving to equip themselves with resources to integrate artificial intelligence into their systems. This could substantially impact the economy, particularly affecting the cost of end products such as consoles and gaming PCs.
| Month | Company | Investor/Buyer | Deal Valuation, $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | Aligned Data Centers | Global Infrastructure Partners | 40 billion |
| December | Intersect Power | Google (Alphabet) | 4.75 billion |
| July | ST Telemedia Global Data Centres | KKR | over 5 billion |
| September | Bain Capital (China) | Shenzhen Dongyangguang Industry | 4 billion |
| May | FläktGroup Holding | Samsung Electronics | 1.76 billion |
