Aolani, a Singapore-founded AI cloud company, has signed a strategic compute collaboration with NVIDIA, marking a first-of-its-kind partnership for a Southeast Asian-founded firm. The agreement is set to substantially raise Southeast Asia's profile in the global AI ecosystem by combining Aolani's regional capabilities with NVIDIA's cutting-edge technology. This collaboration will unlock financing aimed at accelerating and democratising access to AI compute for global AI natives, sovereign entities, and local enterprises and SMEs across Asia.
The partnership brings Aolani's total AI factory capacity to more than 100 megawatts, with 22,000 GPUs expected to be deployed across two AI factories in Malaysia and the Philippines in early 2027. This will bring Aolani's total deployment to over 48,000 GPUs. As an NVIDIA Cloud Partner since 2023, Aolani will deploy NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs, a leading AI system designed to help organisations build and scale advanced AI workloads. Aolani will deliver NVIDIA-powered cloud services to AI-native companies, enterprises, startups, developers, and institutions throughout Southeast Asia. A revenue-sharing and credit-support model will align infrastructure deployment with customer demand, broadening access to large-scale accelerated computing while giving Aolani a capital-efficient path to scale its AI factories across the region.
Southeast Asia is one of the most robust AI markets globally, with AI adoption rates among companies demonstrating stronger momentum than the global average. According to McKinsey & Company, the region is experiencing an era of opportunity, driven by more than US$50 billion invested by global hyperscalers in AI-ready data centres and cloud infrastructure. The Singapore Economic Development Board also highlights Southeast Asia's emerging position as a global arena for cloud and AI innovation. While Malaysia has established itself as one of Asia's premier AI factory hubs, the Philippines represents a high-potential emerging market for AI infrastructure. Aolani's deployment in the Philippines is expected to be among the first large-scale AI infrastructure platforms in the country, broadening access to advanced AI compute and supporting the buildout of essential AI infrastructure in Asia.
Nicholas Chia, Chief Executive Officer at Aolani, said: "This collaboration with NVIDIA marks a defining moment in Aolani's mission to deliver world-class AI compute at the speed that matches the pace of AI development, and on infrastructure that is compliant, accountable, and trusted to perform. Southeast Asia is rapidly emerging as a key global node for the next wave of global AI buildout, and we are well-positioned to lead this. We are excited to work with new partners and customers to build the Southeast Asian AI ecosystem and cement the region's central role in the global AI landscape."
The implications of this collaboration are significant. It not only boosts Aolani's capacity but also signals Southeast Asia's growing importance in the global AI supply chain. By democratising access to AI compute, the partnership could spur innovation among local startups and SMEs, enabling them to compete on a global scale. Furthermore, the deployment in the Philippines could catalyse the country's AI infrastructure development, attracting further investment and talent. As global demand for AI compute continues to surge, this collaboration positions Southeast Asia as a critical hub, ensuring the region plays a central role in shaping the future of AI.
