Data Centers

Major Companies and Organizations Building Data Centers Around the World

The global data center industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital transformation. Global data center capital expenditures surged 51% year-over-year in 2024 to $455 billion [dc65c1] , with projections indicating continued expansion through 2025 and beyond. This comprehensive analysis identifies the major companies and organizations actively building data center infrastructure worldwide.

Global Hyperscale Providers

The largest data center operators globally are hyperscale cloud providers who build massive facilities to support their own services and customer workloads. These companies dominate the market through both scale and investment capacity.

Leading Cloud Giants

Amazon Web Services (AWS) maintains the world's largest data center footprint, operating over 100 facilities with more than 33,500 MW of capacity globally [893d57] . AWS has announced plans to invest $150 billion over 15 years to expand its cloud infrastructure [92012b] , with recent major projects including an $11 billion investment in Indiana, $10 billion in Ohio, and $6 billion in Virginia [841363] .
Microsoft Azure operates more than 200 data centers across 62 cloud regions worldwide [893d57] . The company has committed to investing approximately $80 billion in AI-enabled data centers during fiscal year 2025, with more than half of this investment targeted for the United States [1deb0c] . Microsoft's facilities are designed to be within 20 kilometers of existing data centers in their regional networks to meet strict latency requirements [893d57] .
Google Cloud Platform operates over 200 data centers across multiple regions globally [893d57] . The company has committed to spending $100 billion on AI infrastructure over time [1deb0c] and is investing in mega energy parks that will generate renewable power for its data centers [1c8f6b] . Google's strategy includes partnerships with independent power producers to build large energy plants adjacent to data center campuses [1c8f6b] .
Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) operates 21+ data centers globally for its social media platforms and AI infrastructure [893d57] . The company has increased its capital expenditures to $65 billion in 2025, up from $38 billion in 2024 [cfc567] , including a $10 billion data center project in Louisiana that will be Meta's largest facility worldwide [1c8f6b] .
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure operates 41+ cloud regions globally [717341] and is participating in the massive $500 billion Stargate AI infrastructure initiative alongside OpenAI and SoftBank [92012b] . This project represents one of the largest private sector investments in AI infrastructure [97fa12] .

Other Major Cloud Providers

Alibaba Cloud, China's largest cloud provider, operates more than 80 availability zones globally and had an 18% market share in China's cloud infrastructure service spend in 2021 [cc0c70] . Tencent Cloud operates over 70 availability zones worldwide, while IBM Cloud maintains 60+ zones with a focus on hybrid cloud solutions and enterprise services [717341] .

Colocation Providers

Colocation companies provide shared data center facilities where multiple organizations can house their IT infrastructure, offering an alternative to building proprietary facilities.

Global Colocation Leaders

Equinix operates the world's largest network of interconnected data centers with 240+ facilities globally [893d57] . The company recently announced a €59 million acquisition of BT Group's Irish data center business [1c8f6b] and continues to expand its International Business Exchange (IBX) network with industry-leading uptime of >99.9999% [b88f09] .
Digital Realty operates 312 data centers comprising 2,431 MW of IT capacity and 39.5 million net rentable square feet globally [893d57] . The company serves over 5,000 customers across multiple continents and maintains key subsidiaries including Interxion, Ascenty, and Teraco Data Environments [893d57] .
NTT Global Data Centers operates 95 data centers with over 1,100 MW of IT power capacity worldwide [893d57] . The company has announced multi-billion dollar global expansion plans, including a proposed acquisition of nearly 70 acres in Malaysia for one of the largest data center campuses in the Asia-Pacific region [1c8f6b] .

Specialized Colocation Providers

Vantage Data Centers secured more than $13 billion in debt and equity investments in 2024 to support global expansion [8c760b] . The company focuses on hyperscale data center campuses and has established significant presence in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific regions [8c760b] .
CyrusOne operates more than 55 data centers with approximately 1,000 MW of power capacity across the United States and Europe [893d57] . QTS Data Centers operates hybrid colocation facilities and has announced multibillion-dollar projects including a major development in Northumberland, England [1c8f6b] .

Regional Market Leaders

Asia-Pacific Region

GDS Holdings is the largest carrier-neutral data center operator in China, operating 102 self-developed data centers spanning 692,866 square meters [893d57] . The company serves major Chinese cloud providers including Alibaba and Tencent [893d57] .
NEXTDC operates Australia's largest network of data centers and is expanding capacity to capture local cloud migration trends [acfc4d] . AirTrunk specializes in hyperscale facilities across Asia-Pacific markets [acfc4d] .
Digital Edge operates 17+ data centers across Asia-Pacific and raised over $1.6 billion in new equity and debt capital in 2025 to fund continued platform expansion [f076e9] . The company operates facilities in Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, Manila, Mumbai, and Jakarta [f076e9] .

European Market

Yondr Group launched a 40 MW data center project in Frankfurt, Germany, marking its second facility in Europe [1c8f6b] . Kevlinx Data Centers is developing AI-ready facilities in Europe's emerging markets, with a 32MW+ facility planned for Brussels [8ce4c7] .

Latin American Growth

Ascenty operates wholesale data centers across Latin America and is part of Digital Realty's global portfolio [893d57] . The region is experiencing rapid growth, with Brazil leading Latin America's data center expansion [72b4e0] .

Construction and Engineering Companies

The data center construction industry is dominated by specialized firms capable of handling complex, mission-critical infrastructure projects.

Top Construction Firms

According to Building Design+Construction's 2024 ranking, the top data center construction companies include Holder Construction, HITT Contracting, Turner Construction, DPR Construction, and Clayco [260b1b] . These companies have been consistently ranked among the nation's largest data center contractors [e7287f] .
Fortis Construction has been named one of the nation's top-10 data center builders for six consecutive years by Engineering News-Record [e7287f] . The company ranked #7 in telecommunications construction, which encompasses data centers [e7287f] .

International Construction Players

Collen Construction operates as a leading international construction company with significant data center projects [200a39] . Jacobs Solutions provides engineering and construction services for data center projects globally [d889be] .
Gray Construction was ranked #15 in the U.S. for data center construction by Engineering News-Record and completes more than 300 MW of new capacity annually [da1bc8] .

Emerging Players and Specialized Providers

AI-Focused Companies

CoreWeave announced a $9 billion acquisition of Core Scientific in 2025, representing one of the largest transactions in the AI infrastructure space [98c982] . The company specializes in GPU-optimized cloud infrastructure for AI workloads [fde20c] .
xAI (Elon Musk's AI company) has pursued billion-dollar investments in AI data centers and hardware [1deb0c] . The company created AI data centers in a factory in Tennessee [1deb0c] .

Investment Firms

Blackstone is investing $13 billion in a hyperscale data center in Northern England, positioning it as one of the largest technology infrastructure investments in Europe [c5c089] . The facility will operate on 100% renewable energy with advanced liquid cooling systems [c5c089] .

Government and Sovereign Cloud Initiatives

Governments worldwide are implementing data center modernization strategies to support digital transformation and ensure data sovereignty.

National Initiatives

The United States operates the Data Center Optimization Initiative (DCOI) to consolidate inefficient infrastructure and improve security posture [e53961] . The United Kingdom has designated data centers as Critical National Infrastructure, providing them with the same protections as energy and water systems [4ab536] .
Thailand has developed a comprehensive Government Data Center Modernization strategy to protect high-security data and achieve operational excellence [fe0dfe] . Malaysia has established government data centers to support ICT plans and e-government services [fe0dfe] .

Sovereign Cloud Providers

Google Cloud offers sovereign cloud solutions with data residency and administrative access controls [e74758] . SAP, IBM, and Orange Business provide sovereign cloud capabilities to meet country-specific regulatory requirements [8540d3] [2a15bc] [a1e632] .
The data center industry is experiencing unprecedented growth driven by AI adoption and cloud migration. Global data center capital expenditures are projected to exceed $1 trillion annually by 2029 [dc65c1] , with AI-related spending accounting for the majority of new investments. Hyperscale data center count reached 1,136 facilities in 2024, up from 992 at the end of 2023 [838b16] . The pipeline of future hyperscale data centers stands at 504 facilities in various stages of planning and construction [838b16] .
North America continues to lead global capacity with over 51% of worldwide hyperscale capacity [838b16] . However, Asia-Pacific markets are experiencing the fastest growth rates, with countries like South Korea projected to grow 100% between 2022 and 2026 [1fd906] .
The industry faces significant challenges including power constraints, with 40% of AI data centers expected to be limited by power availability by 2027 [1deb0c] . This is driving investment in renewable energy solutions and partnerships with power generation companies [1deb0c] .

Conclusion

The global data center industry represents a complex ecosystem of hyperscale cloud providers, colocation companies, regional specialists, construction firms, and emerging AI-focused players. With over $455 billion invested in 2024 alone and projections for continued exponential growth, these companies are building the critical infrastructure that powers our digital economy. The industry's evolution toward AI-optimized facilities, sustainable energy solutions, and sovereign cloud capabilities will continue to shape the competitive landscape in the coming years.

Sources

[dc65c1] Top 250 Data Center Companies in the World as of 2024 - Dgtl Infra https://dgtlinfra.com/top-data-center-companies/ Top 250 Data Center Companies in the World as of 2024 - Dgtl Infra https://dgtlinfra.com/top-data-center-companies/

[841363] The Largest Data Center Projects of 2024 - Site Selection Group https://info.siteselectiongroup.com/blog/the-largest-data-center-projects-of-2024 The Largest Data Center Projects of 2024 - Site Selection Group https://info.siteselectiongroup.com/blog/the-largest-data-center-projects-of-2024

[1c8f6b] Best Strategic Cloud Platform Services Reviews 2025 - Gartner https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/strategic-cloud-platform-services Best Strategic Cloud Platform Services Reviews 2025 - Gartner https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/strategic-cloud-platform-services

[97fa12] 21+ Top Cloud Service Providers Globally In 2025 - CloudZero https://www.cloudzero.com/blog/cloud-service-providers/ 21+ Top Cloud Service Providers Globally In 2025 - CloudZero https://www.cloudzero.com/blog/cloud-service-providers/

[b88f09] Data Center Construction Company https://www.gray.com/markets/data-centers/ Data Center Construction Company https://www.gray.com/markets/data-centers/

[8c760b] CISPE - The Voice of Cloud Infrastructure Service Providers in ... https://cispe.cloud CISPE - The Voice of Cloud Infrastructure Service Providers in ... https://cispe.cloud

[260b1b] Who Builds Data Centers? Key Players in the Industry https://cc-techgroup.com/who-builds-data-centers/ Who Builds Data Centers? Key Players in the Industry https://cc-techgroup.com/who-builds-data-centers/

[c5c089] 5 Largest Data Center Construction Projects in the U.S. 2025 https://propertymanagerinsider.com/2025-data-center-construction/ 5 Largest Data Center Construction Projects in the U.S. 2025 https://propertymanagerinsider.com/2025-data-center-construction/

[e53961] Hyperscale Data Center Design - Black & Veatch https://www.bv.com/projects/hyperscale-data-center-design Hyperscale Data Center Design - Black & Veatch https://www.bv.com/projects/hyperscale-data-center-design

[8540d3] AI Infrastructure Investment: The Ultimate Guide for Investors https://smartdev.com/the-rise-of-ai-infrastructure-investment/ AI Infrastructure Investment: The Ultimate Guide for Investors https://smartdev.com/the-rise-of-ai-infrastructure-investment/

[2a15bc] Multibillion-dollar data center projects to watch - Construction Dive https://www.constructiondive.com/news/data-center-projects-construction-2025/738160/ Multibillion-dollar data center projects to watch - Construction Dive https://www.constructiondive.com/news/data-center-projects-construction-2025/738160/

[a1e632] What is a hyperscale data center? - IBM https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/hyperscale-data-center What is a hyperscale data center? - IBM https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/hyperscale-data-center

[1fd906] Data Center Construction Market Investment Prospect Databook 2025 https://finance.yahoo.com/news/data-center-construction-market-investment-081400511.html Data Center Construction Market Investment Prospect Databook 2025 https://finance.yahoo.com/news/data-center-construction-market-investment-081400511.html

[9453c1] STACK Infrastructure: Hyperscale Data Centers, Colocation https://www.stackinfra.com STACK Infrastructure: Hyperscale Data Centers, Colocation https://www.stackinfra.com

[ed634c] Investing in AI Data Centers Could Be a No-Brainer Move. This ETF ... https://finance.yahoo.com/news/investing-ai-data-centers-could-082700669.html Investing in AI Data Centers Could Be a No-Brainer Move. This ETF ... https://finance.yahoo.com/news/investing-ai-data-centers-could-082700669.html

[93d3a0] Microsoft Mass Timber Hyperscale Data Centers | Gensler https://www.gensler.com/projects/microsoft-mass-timber-hyperscale-data-centers Microsoft Mass Timber Hyperscale Data Centers | Gensler https://www.gensler.com/projects/microsoft-mass-timber-hyperscale-data-centers

[e93b25] New Data Centres | Hyperscale Data Centres Under Construction https://www.coltdatacentres.net/en-GB/our-locations/new-data-centres New Data Centres | Hyperscale Data Centres Under Construction https://www.coltdatacentres.net/en-GB/our-locations/new-data-centres

[221ea1] What is data center colocation? - nLighten https://www.nlighten.com/en/what-is-data-center-colocation/ What is data center colocation? - nLighten https://www.nlighten.com/en/what-is-data-center-colocation/

[b27043] Top 10 data centre companies in the Asia and Pacific regions https://datacentremagazine.com/articles/top-10-asia-pacific-data-centre-companies Top 10 data centre companies in the Asia and Pacific regions https://datacentremagazine.com/articles/top-10-asia-pacific-data-centre-companies

[2eaa6f] What is Data Center Colocation? | Glossary | HPE Turkey https://www.hpe.com/tr/en/what-is/data-center-colocation.html What is Data Center Colocation? | Glossary | HPE Turkey https://www.hpe.com/tr/en/what-is/data-center-colocation.html

[d513f6] Europe Existing & Upcoming Data Center Portfolio https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/europe-data-center-portfolio Europe Existing & Upcoming Data Center Portfolio https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/europe-data-center-portfolio

[350c07] Asia Pacific Data Centers | Digital Realty https://www.digitalrealty.com/data-centers/asia-pacific Asia Pacific Data Centers | Digital Realty https://www.digitalrealty.com/data-centers/asia-pacific

[21f635] Colocation | Your servers in our data centers - NorthC Datacenters https://www.northcdatacenters.com/en/services/colocation/ Colocation | Your servers in our data centers - NorthC Datacenters https://www.northcdatacenters.com/en/services/colocation/

[828233] AIMS Data Centre - Southeast Asia's Leading Data Centre https://www.aims.com.my AIMS Data Centre - Southeast Asia's Leading Data Centre https://www.aims.com.my

[5a22e3] What is a Colocation Data Center? Types & Benefits - Fortinet https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/colocation-data-center What is a Colocation Data Center? Types & Benefits - Fortinet https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/colocation-data-center

[7aa8f9] Western Europe Data Centers - 2415 Facilities https://www.datacentermap.com/western-europe/ Western Europe Data Centers - 2415 Facilities https://www.datacentermap.com/western-europe/

[edd81f] Leading Data Center Colocation Data Center in Asia Pacific https://www.digitaledgedc.com Leading Data Center Colocation Data Center in Asia Pacific https://www.digitaledgedc.com

[270729] What is Colocation? Data Center Comparison & FAQs - Equinix https://www.equinix.com/what-is-colocation What is Colocation? Data Center Comparison & FAQs - Equinix https://www.equinix.com/what-is-colocation

[b3c200] IBX Data Centers In Europe & Middle East | EMEA - Equinix https://www.equinix.com/data-centers/europe-colocation IBX Data Centers In Europe & Middle East | EMEA - Equinix https://www.equinix.com/data-centers/europe-colocation

[4e85c3] Asia Data Centers - 1256 Facilities from Operators https://www.datacentermap.com/asia/ Asia Data Centers - 1256 Facilities from Operators https://www.datacentermap.com/asia/

[66e60b] High-Performance Colocation Solutions for Data Centers - CoreSite https://www.coresite.com/colocation High-Performance Colocation Solutions for Data Centers - CoreSite https://www.coresite.com/colocation

[e8ab21] Find the best data centers in Europe https://datacenters-in-europe.com Find the best data centers in Europe https://datacenters-in-europe.com

[ff63e8] Asia Pacific | Data Center Market Overview | Cloudscene https://cloudscene.com/region/datacenters-in-asia-pacific Asia Pacific | Data Center Market Overview | Cloudscene https://cloudscene.com/region/datacenters-in-asia-pacific

[fa76a9] Data center investments surged to $455B last year: report | CIO Dive https://www.ciodive.com/news/data-center-ai-cloud-infrastructure-capex-gpu-servers/743002/ Data center investments surged to $455B last year: report | CIO Dive https://www.ciodive.com/news/data-center-ai-cloud-infrastructure-capex-gpu-servers/743002/

[4887cd] News - DCD - Data Center Dynamics https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/news/ News - DCD - Data Center Dynamics https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/news/

[97bca3] Hyperscale data centre count hits 1136 - Digitalisation World https://m.digitalisationworld.com/news/69612/hyperscale-data-centre-count-hits-1136 Hyperscale data centre count hits 1136 - Digitalisation World https://m.digitalisationworld.com/news/69612/hyperscale-data-centre-count-hits-1136

[69fe54] News & Insights - Data Center World https://datacenterworld.com/news-insights/ News & Insights - Data Center World https://datacenterworld.com/news-insights/

[2815a9] Cloud data centers get bigger, denser amid AI building boom https://www.utilitydive.com/news/cloud-ai-data-center-aws-microsof-google-oracle/743290/ Cloud data centers get bigger, denser amid AI building boom https://www.utilitydive.com/news/cloud-ai-data-center-aws-microsof-google-oracle/743290/

[b5ddfd] Data Center Capex Surged 51 Percent to $455 Billion in 2024 ... https://www.delloro.com/news/data-center-capex-surged-51-percent-to-455-billion-in-2024/ Data Center Capex Surged 51 Percent to $455 Billion in 2024 ... https://www.delloro.com/news/data-center-capex-surged-51-percent-to-455-billion-in-2024/

[ec4d32] 2025 Data Center News, Cloud and Technology Articles https://www.datacenters.com/news 2025 Data Center News, Cloud and Technology Articles https://www.datacenters.com/news

[bbe4dc] Data Center Knowledge | Navigating the Future of Data Centers https://www.datacenterknowledge.com Data Center Knowledge | Navigating the Future of Data Centers https://www.datacenterknowledge.com

[f699e4] News hyperscale - DCD - Data Center Dynamics https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/news/?tag=hyperscale News hyperscale - DCD - Data Center Dynamics https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/news/?tag=hyperscale

[4fa068] Data Centre Magazine: Home of Data Centre News https://datacentremagazine.com Data Centre Magazine: Home of Data Centre News https://datacentremagazine.com

[646ef4] Data center industry news, analysis, and opinion - DCD https://www.datacenterdynamics.com Data center industry news, analysis, and opinion - DCD https://www.datacenterdynamics.com

[74ce65] Sovereign Cloud Capabilities | SAP Trust Center https://www.sap.com/turkey/about/trust-center/sovereign-cloud.html Sovereign Cloud Capabilities | SAP Trust Center https://www.sap.com/turkey/about/trust-center/sovereign-cloud.html

[671679] Top Data Center Growth Regions in 2025 - Datacenters.com https://www.datacenters.com/news/top-data-center-growth-regions-in-2025 Top Data Center Growth Regions in 2025 - Datacenters.com https://www.datacenters.com/news/top-data-center-growth-regions-in-2025

[840ce3] Data Center Optimization Initiative - Policies & Priorities | CIO.GOV https://www.cio.gov/policies-and-priorities/DCOI/ Data Center Optimization Initiative - Policies & Priorities | CIO.GOV https://www.cio.gov/policies-and-priorities/DCOI/

[7f7e25] What is sovereign cloud, and why is it important? - Nutanix https://www.nutanix.com/info/cloud-computing/sovereign-cloud What is sovereign cloud, and why is it important? - Nutanix https://www.nutanix.com/info/cloud-computing/sovereign-cloud

[350f86] Data Centers, Energy, and the Emerging Market Equation https://business.cornell.edu/article/2025/05/sustainability-challenge/ Data Centers, Energy, and the Emerging Market Equation https://business.cornell.edu/article/2025/05/sustainability-challenge/

[a7c475] The Emerging Data Center Market in Armenia and Opportunities for ... https://www.adb.org/publications/emerging-data-center-market-armenia The Emerging Data Center Market in Armenia and Opportunities for ... https://www.adb.org/publications/emerging-data-center-market-armenia

[fdfe2d] Tietoevry Sovereign Cloud: Secure and innovative cloud solutions https://www.tietoevry.com/en/tech-services/cloud-and-infrastructure/sovereign-cloud/ Tietoevry Sovereign Cloud: Secure and innovative cloud solutions https://www.tietoevry.com/en/tech-services/cloud-and-infrastructure/sovereign-cloud/

[44dc1a] How government initiatives are impacting data centers - JLL https://www.jll.com/en-au/insights/how-government-initiatives-are-impacting-data-centers How government initiatives are impacting data centers - JLL https://www.jll.com/en-au/insights/how-government-initiatives-are-impacting-data-centers

[ead345] Sovereign Cloud (Cloud Avenue) | Orange Business Digital Services https://digital.orange-business.com/en-en/expertises/sovereign-cloud-cloud-avenue Sovereign Cloud (Cloud Avenue) | Orange Business Digital Services https://digital.orange-business.com/en-en/expertises/sovereign-cloud-cloud-avenue

[42e5fa] Global Data Center Market Comparison - Cushman & Wakefield https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights/global-data-center-market-comparison Global Data Center Market Comparison - Cushman & Wakefield https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights/global-data-center-market-comparison

[94a8ac] 6.6 Data Center and Cloud Optimization Initiative (DCCOI) | CIO.GOV https://www.cio.gov/handbook/policies-initiatives/dccoi/ 6.6 Data Center and Cloud Optimization Initiative (DCCOI) | CIO.GOV https://www.cio.gov/handbook/policies-initiatives/dccoi/

[5bc291] Sovereign Cloud from Google https://cloud.google.com/sovereign-cloud Sovereign Cloud from Google https://cloud.google.com/sovereign-cloud