KKR Launches $10 Billion AI Infrastructure Company with Former AWS Chief

Private equity firm KKR secured more than $10 billion to launch Helix Digital Infrastructure, a new company that will design, build, own, and operate AI-focused data centers, power generation facilities, and connectivity networks.

The venture is led by Adam Selipsky, who served as CEO of Amazon Web Services until earlier this year. Selipsky said Helix will focus on the physical infrastructure that AI systems require, including specialized data centers, power plants, and high-speed connectivity.

"The bottleneck for AI right now is not the models. It is the physical layer," Selipsky said. "We are building the infrastructure that makes large-scale AI deployment possible."

KKR says Helix will partner with major cloud providers, known as hyperscalers, to accelerate deployment. The company will also work with utilities and local governments to secure power and land for new facilities.

The launch reflects a broader surge in private equity investment in AI infrastructure. Big tech companies are projected to spend close to $1 trillion on AI-related infrastructure this year, including data centers, chips, and energy. Private equity firms see an opportunity to own and operate the physical assets that support this spending.

Cities are competing to attract AI compute hubs. Nvidia secured at least $23 million in incentives from Irving, Texas, to expand its supercomputing presence in the United States.

SanDisk reported $5.95 billion in revenue for its most recent quarter, driven by demand for AI storage. The company secured $42 billion in long-term supply contracts, indicating that AI infrastructure demand extends well beyond graphics processing units to include memory and storage systems.

Qualcomm announced plans to ship a custom data center processor to a major hyperscaler, entering a market long dominated by Nvidia. The move could broaden the supplier base for AI chips and ease shortages that have slowed some deployments.