Blue Owl Capital launches Kirkwood to build fiber for AI data centers
What's the deal? Funds managed by Blue Owl CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → on 8 July 2026 launched Kirkwood Infrastructure Group, a new fiber and communications infrastructure company. Kirkwood will develop, own and operate conduit, high-count fiber-optic cable and related infrastructure for hyperscale customers, data center operators and communications carriers.
Why now? Rising investment in artificial intelligence and hyperscale data centers is fuelling demand for high-capacity digital networks across the US. Developers are racing to build fiber, conduit and connectivity linking data centers, telecom carriers and subsea cable landing stations.
What's the endgame? Kirkwood has integrated Florida-based South Reach NetworksDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, adding nearly 400 miles of fiber, access to about 40 near-net and on-net data centers, and key subsea cable landing stations. It is also building more than 200 miles of conduit and fiber across Louisiana and Mississippi, connecting Shreveport and Vicksburg to support new hyperscale developments.
The company will be led by chief executive officer Scott Bergs and a team with experience developing more than 600 miles of network infrastructure over the past five years. Blue Owl said Kirkwood plans to expand into additional US markets alongside data center development partners and will operate independently from its investment in Gigabit FiberDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → LLC.
The signal: The launch shows how investors are pouring capital into the physical layer underpinning AI and cloud computing. As hyperscalers scale, the networks connecting them are becoming an asset class of their own.
Read more: Yahoo Finance
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