Australian artificial intelligence infrastructure company Firmus announced on Monday that it has finalised a $10 billion debt funding package led by global private equity firm Blackstone and New York-based technology investor Coatue Management, reports Reuters.
The funding will support the next phase of Project Southgate, Firmus’ initiative to develop AI training and inference infrastructure, including data centres, across Australia. The project, carried out in collaboration with CDC Data Centres and US chipmaker Nvidia, is expected to reach up to 1.6 gigawatts of capacity over the next three years.
"AI is driving one of the most significant infrastructure build-outs in decades, and we believe Australia can play a central role in that transformation," said John Watson, senior managing director in Blackstone's Tactical Opportunities Group. "The picks and shovels powering the AI revolution are one of our highest conviction investment themes, and we are excited to finance Firmus' continued growth."
Last year, Firmus raised A$830 million ($582 million) in two separate equity placements, backed by Nvidia and Australian investor Ellerston Capital, Reuters reported.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
