Nvidia-Backed Firmus Signs OpenAI Deal for Malaysian Data Centre Capacity
The multi-year agreement makes OpenAI the anchor customer for two Malaysian facilities and pushes Firmus' total contracted capacity past 900 megawatts, ahead of a rumoured IPO that could rank among Australia's largest in recent years.
SINGAPORE: Australia's Firmus has signed a multi-year agreement with OpenAI to supply computing capacity from two data centres in Malaysia, the company said on Tuesday, giving the ChatGPT maker an additional foothold in Southeast Asia's fastest-growing digital infrastructure market.
The deal raises Firmus' contracted capacity across all customers to more than 900 megawatts. The AI infrastructure firm operates two AI data centres in Australia and Singapore and has five more under development across Asia-Pacific. It will deploy Nvidia's next-generation Vera Rubin processors at scale across the region, with the Malaysia expansion extending its footprint into a market that has become a magnet for hyperscale investment.
Firmus declined to comment on the contract value, and OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The company was valued at above $10.5 billion in its last fundraising, backed by Nvidia, Jane Street, Blackstone funds, and Coatue Management. The OpenAI agreement lands ahead of a rumoured initial public offering this year that could be one of Australia's largest in recent years.
The deal arrives as U.S. and Chinese AI groups intensify their competition for power and data centre capacity. OpenAI last week unveiled Astra, which it described as its most capable model yet, adding pressure to secure the physical infrastructure needed to train and serve increasingly demanding systems. Malaysia has emerged as a key battleground in that race, but its rapid data centre buildout has drawn scrutiny over electricity and water consumption, concerns that have already surfaced in Australia and parts of the United States.
BuiltWorld AI Operational Take: Firmus crossing the 900-megawatt threshold with OpenAI as an anchor tenant transforms it from a regional operator into a serious contender for Asia-Pacific AI infrastructure capital. The operational question is whether the Malaysia sites can deliver Vera Rubin-class density without straining local utilities that are already under pressure from the broader buildout. Project teams tracking Southeast Asia should be watching how Firmus structures its power and cooling agreements in Malaysia, because those terms will set the template for how other developers navigate the region's resource constraints.