Oliver Curtis’ Firmus inks $73.3b ‘AI factory’ plan with Nvidia, CDC

Amelia McGuire and Paul Smith

Updated Oct 16, 2025 – 6.08pm, first published at 9.40am

Subscribe to gift this article

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.

Already a subscriber?

Artificial intelligence infrastructure start-up Firmus Technologies has signed an agreement worth an initial $4.5 billion with the world’s most valuable company Nvidia and local data centre player CDC Data Centres, to build gigantic AI data centres all over the country.

Firmus said the plan to build “AI factories” and fit some of CDC’s existing data centres with its cooling software may cost up to $73.3 billion by the time it’s completed, and will scale to 1.6 gigawatts of renewable power from 2028. Data centres are measured based on their energy use.

Amelia McGuire covers technology from the AFR's Sydney newsroom. She was previously the aviation, tourism and gambling reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Paul Smith edits the technology coverage and has been a leading writer on the sector for 20 years. He covers big tech, business use of tech, the fast-growing Australian tech industry and start-ups, telecommunications and national innovation policy.