Prime Highlights
- Helix Digital Infrastructure launches with over $10 billion in committed capital, backed by Nvidia, Vistra and the Kuwait Investment Authority.
- Power shortages and rising costs from the US data-centre boom are pushing the AI infrastructure sector towards private equity funding.
Key Facts
- KKR is a global investment firm whose infrastructure platform manages over $100 billion in assets, including more than $70 billion across digital and power sectors.
- Nvidia, one of Helix’s anchor investors, is the world’s leading AI chip designer and will provide data-centre design expertise to the venture.
Background
A KKR-led group has launched a new company with more than $10 billion in committed capital to finance the build-out of artificial intelligence infrastructure, marking the latest move by a private equity firm to tap into growing demand for AI services.
The company, called Helix Digital Infrastructure, counts the Kuwait Investment Authority, chipmaker Nvidia and utility firm Vistra as anchor investors. Former Amazon Web Services chief Adam Selipsky leads the venture. NVIDIA will support Helix with expertise in designing AI data centres, while Vistra will serve as the preferred power provider.
KKR said Helix can bring in additional institutional investors once founding commitments are closed. The firm’s infrastructure platform manages over $100 billion in assets, including more than $70 billion across digital and power.
Selipsky said large users of digital infrastructure face an urgent need to cut complexity and unlock new capacity.
The launch comes as a surge in data-centre construction across the United States strains power supply and triggers a shortage of electronic components, slowing the development of facilities central to Big Tech’s AI ambitions. Rising project costs are pushing the industry towards private equity as a key funding source.
Earlier this week, Apollo and Blackstone said they would back a $35 billion AI capacity expansion for Anthropic using custom chips from Broadcom.
Selipsky stepped down as AWS chief in mid-2024 after doubling the division’s sales and operating profit since taking the role in 2021.
