OpenAI And SoftBank To Invest $1B In SB Energy To Build More AI Data Centers

OpenAI has also selected SB Energy to build and operate its 1.2 GW data center site in Milam County.
People walk through the hallways at Equinix Data Center in Ashburn, Virginia, on May 9, 2024. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
People walk through the hallways at Equinix Data Center in Ashburn, Virginia, on May 9, 2024. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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Jaiveer Shekhawat·Stocktwits
Updated Jan 09, 2026   |   5:42 PM EST
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SB Energy, a SoftBank Group Company, said that it has secured a $1 billion investment from OpenAI and SoftBank Group to build next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) data centers in the United States.

To support the partnership and as demand for AI compute accelerates, OpenAI and SoftBank Group are each investing $500 million into SB Energy, the statement said. OpenAI has also selected SB Energy to build and operate its 1.2 GW data center site in Milam County.

SB Energy is currently developing several multi-gigawatt data center campuses, with initial facilities under construction and expected to enter service starting in 2026.

SB Energy is currently developing several multi-gigawatt data center campuses, with initial facilities under construction and expected to enter service starting in 2026. SB Energy will become a major customer of OpenAI, leveraging its APIs and deploying ChatGPT for its employees.

To expand operations of its data center infrastructure business, SB Energy recently acquired Studio 151, a data center construction management, procurement, engineering, and operations company with a track record spanning 20 data center campuses.

“Partnering with SB Energy brings together their strength in data center infrastructure and energy development and OpenAI’s deep domain expertise in data center engineering,” said OpenAI co-founder and President Greg Brockman. 

Ares’ Third Financing

Ares Infrastructure Opportunities funds (Ares) previously invested $800 million of redeemable preferred equity in 2025 to further support SB Energy’s growth.

Investment further deepened the long-standing relationship between Ares and SB Energy, marking the third financing from Ares since 2020. 

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

Retail sentiment around SFTBY trended in ‘bullish’ territory amid ‘high’ message volume. 

Shares of SoftBank Group closed 1.44% higher on Friday. They have risen 91% over the past 12 months. 

Retail sentiment around OpenAI trended in ‘neutral’ territory amid ‘low’ message volume. 

 

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