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Data centres

Today

Oliver Curtis and Tim Rosenfield’s company Firmus Technologies is now valued at $6 billion.

Oliver Curtis’ Firmus lifts valuation to $6b on fresh funding round

The AI start-up has raised a further $500 million to fund its growth plans, but some sceptics question whether its lofty valuation is justified.  

Yesterday

CDC Data Centres chief Greg Boorer wants industries and government departments to develop new ways of using the current power system more efficiently.

Data centre ambitions no obstacle to net zero: CDC CEO

Greg Boorer said unused capacity in Australia’s power system represented an opportunity to create an export industry that could dwarf the mining sector.

Tech CEOs call for sovereign digital infrastructure investment

Technology executives say the “economy is toast” without the ability to operate AI models on Australian soil, and we can’t rely on temperamental allies.

Shareholders rebuke NextDC for CEO’s $112m bonus plan

An overwhelming majority voted against the data centre provider’s remuneration report at its annual general meeting on Thursday.

Anthropic’s Claude chatbot and underlying technology have gained traction with enterprise customers in sectors like finance and health care, as well as with developers.

Anthropic commits $76b to build AI data centres in the US

The new sites, which Anthropic will develop with UK-based Fluidstack, will start coming online throughout 2026 in several US locations including Texas.

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This Month

Firmus co-chief executives Tim Rosenfield and Oliver Curtis. The latter is a former investment banker who spent a year in jail over insider trading.

Oliver Curtis’ $6b Firmus brings in Wall Street duo ahead of IPO

Firmus is the biggest addition to the 2026 IPO pipeline, and could spell a big payday for backers including Phil King’s Regal and Ashok Jacob’s Ellerston.

Australians will own more data centre debt than CSL or Telstra shares with their retirement savings.

The $4.6trn data-centre vortex could starve Australia of capital

The gold rush for AI infrastructure is sucking up funds right as Australia needs capital to expand existing infrastructure assets. Where is the money going to come from?

Merger lawyers warn that an inconsistent and uncertain assessment regime for foreign investment risks turning away the overseas capital required to fuel the boom

Data centre boom fuelling economic recovery

But merger lawyers warn inconsistent and uncertain government guidelines for foreign investment put at risk the overseas capital required to fuel the boom.

M&A is hit and miss. Megaport structured its deal to make sure the sellers had to hit targets for the next three years.

Small-cap mafia takes a piece of AI rocket Megaport

You have to be sceptical of any AI-related deal struck in this market. But at least Megaport’s CEO was talking sense.

The board of NextDC is facing investor backlash over its plan to award a one-off grant to chief executive Craig Scroggie.

NextDC boss faces ‘excessive’ pay package battle

Two influential proxy firms have advised investors in the data centre company to vote against a new remuneration package for chief executive Craig Scroggie.

Brothers Will Roberts and Dan Roberts say Iren is on track to reach $US3.4 billion annualised revenue by the end of next year.

Iren’s lacklustre AI revenue belies plans for billion-dollar growth

The Sydney-based, Nasdaq-listed digital infrastructure company says it will add 120,000 chips to power AI processing but faces scepticism from the market.

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Google to build data centre on Christmas Island

The search engine giant signed a cloud deal with the Department of Defence this year to build the facility, whose details remain secret, on Christmas Island.

The internet, and especially AI, have made it harder to screw over customers.

No more rip-offs: AI turns everyone into an expert negotiator

When everyone has a genius in their pocket, they will be less vulnerable to mis-selling – benefiting them and improving overall economic efficiency.

Goodman promises to walk the talk as data centre rollout surges

Goodman is dramatically ramping up its global rollout of data centres, which will account for three-quarters of its $17.5 billion-plus workbook by next year.

Firmus co-chief executives Tim Rosenfield and Oliver Curtis are aiming for a listing next year.

Oliver Curtis’ Firmus set to triple valuation to $6b in fresh raising

Nvidia’s investment and CDC’s leasing agreement have added a whopping $4 billion to Firmus’ valuation in less than two months.

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Greg Goodman’s pivot into data centres keeps investors hungry while uncertainty slows deals and capital flows into logistics sites.

Grey-haired Greg Goodman delivers reality check on data centre hype

Too much leverage and exaggerated customer contracts are rife in data centre developments, the billionaire warns.

Iren’s $15b Microsoft mega-deal sign of an AI surge that won’t stop

Daniel Roberts, a former Macquarie banker who runs the Nasdaq-listed data centres business, says the agreement is only the first of many as demand booms.

October

Data centres were among top applicants for approval fast-track

Data centres, renewables top bids for $136b in fast-track approvals

NSW Investment Delivery Authority applications revealed as Chris Minns and Daniel Mookhey prepare to address investor summit.

Renewables are the most attractive opportunities for investors but they say governments should cut red and green tape.

Where big investors want to put their money

Renewables are in but hydrogen is out for international and domestic infrastructure investors, but they are worried about government red and green tape.

AirTrunk has signed a $US3 billion data centre partnership with an AI start-up backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.

AirTrunk inks $4.5b Saudi data centre deal, plans more expansion

AirTrunk will build data centres in Saudi Arabia in a deal with an AI start-up owned by the Middle East nation’s sovereign wealth fund.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/data-centres-6hqb