---
title: "I Squared bets on AI inference with $225 million data center buy from Cogent"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/287639657.md"
description: "I Squared Capital has acquired 10 data center facilities from Cogent Fiber for $225 million, aiming to establish a new U.S. data center operating platform focused on AI infrastructure. The investment includes an additional $1 billion for upgrades and expansions, highlighting a shift towards decentralized data centers for AI inference. The facilities offer 53 megawatts of power capacity and 259,000 square feet of space across nine U.S. markets."
datetime: "2026-05-26T13:04:14.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/287639657.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287639657.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/287639657.md)
---

# I Squared bets on AI inference with $225 million data center buy from Cogent

May 26 : Investment manager I Squared Capital on Tuesday said that it has bought 10 data center facilities from Cogent Fiber for $225 million in cash, marking its latest bet on AI infrastructure. I Squared said it plans to use the assets as a “seed” for a new U.S. data center operating platform, committing a further $1 billion for upgrades, expansions and acquisitions. The deal, spanning nine locations, underscores the shift from large, centralized data centers used for model training to those deployed closer to end-users for AI inference. The distinction between model training and inference reflects the difference between “learning” and “doing." “Location, power, and connectivity are the three variables that determine a data center’s long-term value, and these facilities have all three in markets where new supply is severely constrained,” said Gautam Bhandari, co-founder and managing partner at I Squared Capital. The deal includes about 53 megawatts of power capacity and about 259,000 square feet of colocation space across nine U.S. markets, including Chicago, Atlanta and Houston. Cogent Fiber is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of internet service provider Cogent Communications Holdings. Shares of the company have shed nearly 16 per cent in 2026. I Squared Capital invests in and manages digital infrastructure, including data centers. Last month, the investment manager agreed to acquire a majority stake in Elea, one of the largest carrier-neutral data center platforms in Brazil.

### Related Stocks

- [CCOI.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/CCOI.US.md)

## Related News & Research

- [Cogent Communications Highlights Data Center Sales, AI Demand in Deleveraging Push](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286813038.md)
- [Massive news: Iren's $4.4 billion AI target could change everything](https://longbridge.com/en/news/289213746.md)
- [FingerMotion partners with BlueFlare to build edge AI inference sites; first PR1 site planned in Alberta](https://longbridge.com/en/news/289239176.md)
- [This AI Fiber Play Is Backed by Amazon, Meta, and Nvidia and Has Long-Term Potential](https://longbridge.com/en/news/289213979.md)
- [Oracle's stock has surged on AI hype. Now it has to deliver the earnings to match.](https://longbridge.com/en/news/289341176.md)