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In a power move poised to reshape Asia's tech infrastructure, Ares Management Corp. announced Wednesday that it has closed its first dedicated data center investment fund—a jaw-dropping $2.4 billion raise aimed squarely at transforming Tokyo’s digital landscape.

Branded Japan DC Partners LP, the fund catapults Ares into the upper echelon of data center financiers in Japan, promising to bridge the nation’s data gap amid soaring demand driven by AI and cloud computing.

Mega Megawatts: Ares Powers Tokyo’s Digital Future

The newly raised capital is earmarked for the development of three massive data center campuses across Tokyo, expected to deliver a combined 240 megawatts of IT load—a capacity likened by industry insiders to plugging the cloud directly into the city’s bloodstream.

These digital fortresses will be designed and operated by Ada Infrastructure, the data center platform that Ares inherited through its recent $3.7 billion acquisition of GCP International, the global division of GLP Capital Partners.

Strategic Vision Meets High-Voltage Capital

“This achievement highlights the firepower of the Ares-GCP International alliance,” said Blair Jacobson, Ares Co-President. “As Japan rapidly becomes a digital nerve center for Asia-Pacific, especially with AI and cloud integration exploding, we’re positioning ourselves to meet surging demand and alleviate severe capacity constraints.”

Jacobson’s comments underscore the region’s growing role in the global tech arena. As AI models swell in complexity and cloud adoption explodes, Tokyo’s infrastructure is being reimagined—not just expanded.

CPP Investments Backs the Play with $1.3B Stake

Backing the Ares fund is a major vote of confidence from the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, which poured in approximately $1.3 billion, making it one of the fund's largest backers.

“The Asia-Pacific region’s data needs are accelerating, and Japan, with its strategic position between North America and the rest of Asia, is a critical data transfer hub,” said Max Biagosch, senior managing director and head of real assets at CPP Investments. “This move advances our global data center strategy and strengthens our portfolio with attractive, risk-adjusted returns.”

More on the Horizon

Beyond this initial push, Ares hinted at a broader digital infrastructure roadmap in Japan. The firm intends to leverage its pipeline of secured opportunities and generate synergy between its climate infrastructure and digital platforms, aiming to create a fully integrated and sustainable model for next-gen data demands.

While full legal counsel details were not disclosed, the announcement cements Ares’ reputation as a top-tier global player in tech infrastructure—one that’s fueling the cloud, powering AI, and rewriting Japan’s digital future, megawatt by megawatt.