OpenAI inks multi-year pact with Australia-based AI infra firm
What's the story
Australia-based AI infrastructure company Firmus has signed a multi-year agreement with OpenAI. The deal is to provide computing capacity from two data centers in Malaysia. This makes OpenAI an anchor customer for Firmus as the demand for advanced AI model infrastructure continues to grow. The partnership comes ahead of Firmus's rumored IPO this year, which could be one of Australia's largest in recent years.
Business growth
Firmus was valued at over $10.5B
In its last fundraising round, Firmus was valued at over $10.5 billion.
The company is backed by NVIDIA, Jane Street, Blackstone funds, and Coatue Management.
The deal with OpenAI has increased Firmus's contracted capacity across customers to over 900 megawatts (MW). This shows the company's rapid growth in the AI infrastructure space.
Infrastructure development
Firmus has 2 data centers in Australia and Singapore
Firmus currently has two operational AI data centers in Australia and Singapore.
The company also has five more under development across the Asia-Pacific region.
The deal with OpenAI highlights the growing competition among US and Chinese AI companies to secure power and data center capacity for their increasingly advanced models.
Market growth
Malaysia is Southeast Asia's fastest-growing data center market
Malaysia has emerged as Southeast Asia's fastest-growing data center market. However, the rapid expansion has raised concerns over electricity and water consumption.
To address these challenges, Firmus will deploy NVIDIA's next-generation Vera Rubin processors at scale across the Asia-Pacific region.
The addition of Malaysia will further expand its footprint in this rapidly growing market.