Former AWS CEO Launches US$10bn AI Hyperscale Firm

KKR has formed a data centre infrastructure business called Helix Digital Infrastructure with more than US$10bn in committed capital.

The company will coordinate the deployment of facilities, energy generation and connectivity required for artificial intelligence workloads.

Founding investors in Helix include the Kuwait Investment Authority, NVIDIA and Vistra.

Adam Selipsky, former Head of AWS, has been appointed its CEO.

"In my 15 years helping build a US$100bn revenue business and scale cloud infrastructure with Amazon Web Services (AWS), I saw first-hand what happens when demand for compute outpaces the physical infrastructure behind it," Adam says.

Consolidating infrastructure procurement

The venture addresses a procurement challenge facing hyperscale operators.

Data centre developers typically negotiate real estate, power agreements and network connectivity as separate transactions.

Helix will function as a single point of contact for companies seeking all three elements.

"Data centres, power and connectivity have all too often been built on separate tracks," Adam says.

"In the unprecedented infrastructure build-out of the AI era, that fragmentation has become an industry-wide bottleneck.

"This is slowing down the benefits of AI for enterprises, startups, governments, non-profits and citizens worldwide."

KKR will fund its anchor investment through its balance sheet and managed vehicles.

According to the firm, its digital infrastructure platform holds more than US$70bn invested across digital and power asset classes.

Helix will accept additional institutional investors after the initial commitments close.

The business model could reduce the time between capital allocation and operational capacity.

Hyperscalers face delays when coordinating multiple vendors across infrastructure categories.

A unified provider could compress project timelines for cloud operators expanding physical infrastructure.

Power supply as growth constraint

Energy availability limits new data centre capacity.

Vistra will serve as the preferred power provider for Helix investments.

The company operates generation assets across 18 states and Washington, DC.

"Power generation and grid interconnections are critical gating factors for AI infrastructure deployments," says Jim Burke, President and CEO of Vistra.

"Helix brings together data centre development, infrastructure and power capabilities under a single umbrella, providing a one-stop shop for large load customers.

"By utilising Vistra's existing fleet to deliver near-term power, Helix will accelerate delivery of power solutions through the use of existing assets while also bringing additionality with Vistra's best-in-class capabilities, including power generation development and power grid expertise.

"Vistra has a proven track record in executing more than 5,000 megawatts of power purchase agreements with hyperscalers and looks forward to leveraging our leading and diverse generation fleet and operational expertise as Helix's preferred power partner to help deliver the reliable, affordable energy these customers require."

Technology partnership with NVIDIA

NVIDIA will support the technical architecture of Helix data centres. The hardware manufacturer will deploy its DSX platform across Helix investments.

The partnership focuses on maximising tokens per watt, reducing total cost of ownership and accelerating time to first token.

"Useful AI has arrived, and demand for AI factories is extraordinary," says Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA.

"AI is driving the largest infrastructure buildout in modern history.

"With the NVIDIA DSX platform and the Helix strategic partnership, we are bringing together a proven AI factory blueprint, world-class infrastructure expertise from KKR and long-term capital to help AI cloud providers build the next generation of intelligence infrastructure."

The collaboration could mean customers receive pre-configured hardware specifications aligned with power and connectivity capabilities.

This integration may reduce the engineering coordination required when cloud providers scale compute capacity.

Sovereign wealth participation

The Kuwait Investment Authority has invested in Helix as a founding backer.

The sovereign wealth fund was established in 1953 and manages the State's General Reserve and Future Generations Fund.

"We view AI infrastructure as one of the defining long-term investment opportunities globally, and Helix is purpose-built to address it," says Sheikh Saoud Salem Abdulaziz Al-Sabah, Managing Director of the Kuwait Investment Authority.

"Helix reflects a differentiated model that combines proven leadership, integrated capabilities and long-term capital required to deliver the next generation of critical digital infrastructure at scale."

Long duration capital could show an advantage in data centre development. Infrastructure projects require years between site acquisition and revenue generation.

Sovereign wealth funds can commit capital without quarterly performance pressures.

Operational structure and execution

Waldemar Szlezak, KKR's Global Head of Digital Infrastructure, will serve as Chief Investment Officer for Helix.

The executive team will oversee assets spanning baseload power generation, transmission networks and fibre connectivity.

The company seeks to provide cloud operators with a repeatable expansion model.

By controlling multiple infrastructure layers, Helix could reduce negotiation cycles for hyperscalers acquiring new capacity.

"Large users of digital infrastructure have an urgent need to reduce complexity and unlock new capacity. Helix combines significant long-term capital with the capabilities and expertise to deliver holistic AI infrastructure solutions with speed and scale," says Adam.

"Helix is further strengthened by strategic partnerships with NVIDIA and Vistra across technology and power, which we believe will enable the company to deliver the infrastructure that will underpin hyperscalers' AI strategies for years to come."