Private capital investment in emerging market AI projects hits record pace
Private capital is accelerating investment into AI infrastructure across emerging markets, with private equity, private credit and venture capital firms deploying record levels of capital into data centres, digital infrastructure and AI-related assets during the first half of 2026, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The report cites data from the Global Private Capital Association (GPCA) as showing that investors committed $8.8bn to AI-focused projects across developing economies in the first six months of the year, exceeding total investment for the whole of 2025 and marking the strongest level since records began in 2008.
The figures highlight how private markets are broadening the AI investment story beyond listed semiconductor companies in markets such as South Korea and Taiwan, with sponsors increasingly targeting infrastructure opportunities across Latin America, Africa and other developing regions.
Jeff Schlapinski, managing director of research at the GPCA, said investors increasingly see long-term opportunities outside the US, driven by structural shortages in digital and energy infrastructure and growing demand for AI-enabled services.
Several landmark transactions helped drive activity during the first half of the year. In India, data centre operator Nxtra Data secured $1bn from a group of investors that included Carlyle, while Yotta Data Services announced a $2bn investment in Nvidia-powered AI computing infrastructure. Chinese AI developer Moonshot AI also raised more than $700m in fresh capital.
Momentum has continued into the second half of the year. In July, Apollo Global Management committed up to $20bn for infrastructure projects in Mexico, including data centre development, while Kling AI, owned by Kuaishou Technology, secured commitments totalling $2.8bn from investors including Alibaba and BlueFive Capital.
Private capital managers are increasingly viewing AI infrastructure as a long-duration investment theme extending beyond traditional technology hubs. Countries with competitive energy supplies, expanding connectivity and access to critical minerals are emerging as attractive destinations for investment.
Industry participants also see growing opportunities for private credit providers. AI infrastructure projects, particularly data centres, often benefit from contracted revenues through long-term agreements with hyperscale cloud providers and enterprise customers, making them well suited to infrastructure-style financing.