OpenAI and SoftBank will invest a combined US$1 billion (US$500 million each) in SB Energy.

The SoftBank Group’s energy company has also struck a strategic partnership with OpenAI under the Stargate initiative to expand US data centre capacity and support energy infrastructure. 

The deal follows the US$500 billion Stargate commitment unveiled at the White House in January.

OpenAI has also chosen SB Energy to build and operate its previously announced 1.2 GW data centre site in Milam County, Texas.

SB Energy is a US-based infrastructure developer and owner focused on data centres and power assets. Founded in 2019, it provides end-to-end capabilities across project development, construction, engineering, supply chain, financing, power marketing, and asset management.

SB Energy said the equity funding will support its expansion as a delivery partner for large data centre campuses and related power infrastructure. The company is developing several multi-gigawatt sites, with the first facilities under construction and due to begin coming online from 2026.

Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s co-founder and president, said the partnership combines SB Energy’s data centre delivery expertise with OpenAI’s growing demand for compute. “The result is a fast, reliable way to scale compute through large, highly optimised AI data centres,” Brockman added.

SB Energy co-CEO Rich Hossfeld said, “SB Energy’s strategic partnership with OpenAI accelerates our delivery of advanced AI data center campuses and associated energy infrastructure at the scale required to advance Stargate and secure America’s AI future.”

He credited longstanding sponsor SoftBank Group and new partner OpenAI for backing its platform, team, and long-term plans.

OpenAI, SoftBank Group, and SB Energy have also agreed on a non-exclusive preferred partnership aimed at reshaping how large-scale data centres are delivered. The arrangement pairs OpenAI’s in-house data centre design with SB Energy’s delivery track record, including speed, cost control, and integrated power development, to build AI-focused capacity at scale.

SB Energy said it will invest in host communities through jobs, workforce training, and grid upgrades. In Milam County, the company expects the data centre build to support thousands of construction roles. It said the site has been designed to reduce water use, and that it plans to develop a new generation to meet the facility’s power needs, while limiting impacts on Texas electricity customers.

SB Energy recently acquired Studio 151, a data centre construction management and engineering firm, to bolster its in-house delivery and operations capabilities. The company said Studio 151 has worked across 20 data centre campuses.

Co-CEO Abhijeet Sathe said SB Energy and OpenAI have worked with Studio 151 on multiple projects over the past 18 months, and that bringing the team in-house would help SB Energy deliver repeatable campus builds at scale.

Separately, SB Energy noted that Ares Infrastructure Opportunities invested US$800 million in redeemable preferred equity in 2025. The company said it was Ares’ third financing since 2020.