Aolani, a Singapore-founded AI cloud provider, has entered a strategic compute collaboration with NVIDIA that will expand AI factory infrastructure across Southeast Asia. The agreement, described as a first of its scale for a Southeast Asian-founded company, is set to significantly raise the region's profile in the global AI ecosystem by unlocking financing and accelerating access to AI compute for global AI natives, sovereigns, and local enterprises and SMEs.
The collaboration brings Aolani's total AI factory capacity to more than 100 megawatts. Under the plan, 22,000 GPUs are expected to be deployed across two AI factories in Malaysia and the Philippines in early 2027, bringing 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 organizations build and scale advanced AI workloads today.
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. The company will deliver NVIDIA-powered cloud services to AI-native companies, enterprises, startups, developers, and institutions throughout Southeast Asia.
The strategic importance of this announcement lies in its potential to reshape Southeast Asia's position in the global AI landscape. According to McKinsey & Company, Southeast Asia is one of the most robust AI markets in the world, with AI adoption rates among companies demonstrating stronger momentum than the global average. More than US$50 billion has been invested by global hyperscalers in AI-ready data centers and cloud infrastructure across the region, as noted by the Singapore Economic Development Board, underscoring the region's emergence 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 collaboration not only accelerates Aolani's growth but also signals Southeast Asia's growing centrality in the global AI supply chain. By democratizing access to high-performance AI compute, the partnership could spur innovation across local enterprises and startups, enabling them to compete on a global scale. As AI continues to transform industries, the availability of trusted, compliant, and scalable infrastructure becomes a critical differentiator for regions aiming to attract investment and talent. Aolani's expanded footprint, supported by NVIDIA's technology, positions Southeast Asia as a formidable contender in the AI race, with implications for economic development, technological sovereignty, and global competitiveness.
