Key Takeaways
- Australian AI infrastructure firm Firmus has signed a multi-year deal with OpenAI.
- The deal will supply computing capacity from two Malaysian data centres, making OpenAI an anchor customer.
- Firmus' portfolio includes operational centres in Australia and Singapore, with five under development in Asia-Pacific.
Australian AI infrastructure firm Firmus has announced a significant multi-year deal with OpenAI, a leading developer of artificial intelligence models, to supply computing capacity from two Malaysian data centres. This agreement positions OpenAI as a key customer for Firmus, which is backed by major investors including Nvidia, Jane Street, Blackstone funds, and Coatue Management.
The deal comes as Firmus prepares for a potential initial public offering (IPO) this year, which could be one of Australia’s largest in recent years. Firmus was valued at over $10.5 billion in its last fundraising round, reflecting the growing demand for AI infrastructure.
According to Nvidia, the company forecasts 70% sales growth next year, indicating a sustained boom in AI spending. Firmus’ portfolio currently includes two operational AI data centres in Australia and Singapore, with five more under development across the Asia-Pacific region. The addition of Malaysia extends Firmus’ footprint in the region, where it plans to deploy Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin processors.
Malaysia has emerged as Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing data centre market, but the rapid buildout has raised concerns over electricity and water usage. Firmus’ deal with OpenAI underscores the increasing competition among US and Chinese AI groups to secure power and data centre capacity for advanced models. OpenAI recently unveiled Astra, its most capable model yet, highlighting the ongoing race to develop more advanced AI technologies.
While Firmus declined to comment on the contract value, the deal significantly boosts its contracted capacity across customers to over 900 megawatts (MW). This move is part of a broader strategy to meet the growing demand for AI infrastructure, driven by the increasing complexity and resource requirements of advanced AI models.
The deal with OpenAI is expected to bolster Firmus’ position in the AI infrastructure market, which is projected to continue growing in the coming years. As the race to develop and deploy advanced AI models intensifies, firms like Firmus and OpenAI are at the forefront of this technological revolution.
