Ares Management Corporation, a leading global alternative investment manager, announced the final closing of Japan DC Partners I LP, Ares’s first vehicle for investing in data center development and operations. With nearly US$2.4 billion (¥350 billion) in equity commitments, Ares is becoming one of the most significant investors in data centers, helping to meet the growing demand driven by AI and cloud applications.
JDC I will invest in the development of three large data centers in the Tokyo area. This will create one of the world’s largest data center hubs, capable of generating a total of nearly 240 MW of IT load. High environmental standards will be observed during development, such as electricity from renewable resources and low-water cooling systems.
The fund’s campuses are being developed and operated by Ada Infrastructure (“Ada”), a global data center platform acquired by Ares as part of the GCP International transaction and subsequently vertically integrated. Ada’s team of experts consists of more than 70 dedicated employees worldwide, who bring extensive experience in complex data center projects.
Ares sees strong investment opportunities in the Japanese data center sector: in addition to the already secured pipeline, synergies between its broad digital infrastructure and climate infrastructure to support long-term growth. Furthermore, Ares has a strong presence in Japan, driven by real estate acquisitions and strong relationships with key business partners, as well as with municipalities through its own logistics activities. Ares believes this will facilitate the positioning of the platform and data centers.
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One of the institutional investors is Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (“CPP Investments”), which has invested nearly US$1.3 billion (¥193 billion). In addition to CPP Investments, GLP Pte Ltd (“GLP”), a leading global investor based in Singapore specializing in the new economy, has also invested. GLP was the company’s largest shareholder prior to its acquisition by Ares on March 1, 2025. GLP still owns GCP’s digital infrastructure in key international markets, some of which are also managed by Ares.
“This success underscores the investment and development opportunities that the joint Ares and GCP International platform offers to the new economy in Japan. We thank the fund’s investors, including CPP Investments, for their support,” said Blair Jacobson, Co-President of Ares. “As cloud computing and AI rapidly expand in Japan, the country is becoming a key player in data center construction. This will help Ares avoid capital bottlenecks. The team’s strong relationships with key data center customers and extensive experience in the space will enable us to establish the next wave of critical assets while generating strong returns.”
“Demand for data centers in the Asia-Pacific region is constantly growing due to the increasing need for data processing and utilization,” said Max Biagosch, Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Real Assets for CPP Investments. “As one of the most important data center markets in Asia, Japan is a hub connecting Asia and North America to ensure efficient data transfer. Participation in the fund is in line with our global data center strategy and will generate attractive returns for CPP clients and beneficiaries.”
Source: Businesswire
