Samsung and Affiliates Invest $1bn in KKR's AI Infrastructure Firm
Samsung and five of its affiliates have pooled their resources to invest $1bn in Helix Digital Infrastructure, a KKR-backed company dedicated to building AI data centers.
September 29, 2026 - 10:18 am
Credit: Ridham Supriyanto via Shutterstock.com
On Tuesday, Samsung announced that six of its companies are contributing:
- Samsung Electronics: $500M
- Samsung C&T (construction): A significant investment in site development.
- Samsung SDS (IT services): Providing expertise in data center infrastructure.
- Samsung SDI (battery manufacturer): Supplying backup batteries.
- Samsung Life and Samsung Fire & Marine (insurance companies): Rounding out the investment.
Helix, led by former Amazon Web Services (AWS) chief Adam Selipsky, aims to be a one-stop shop for the world's largest cloud and AI companies, handling all aspects of setting up AI data centers, from site selection and power plants to grid connections and fiber links.
KKR launched Helix with over $10bn in capital commitments from founding investors, including KKR itself, Kuwait Investment Authority, Nvidia, and Vistra (a US power company). Nvidia acts as a strategic partner, and Vistra is Helix's preferred power supplier.
Samsung's investment not only includes financial support but also promises to provide:
- Chips and cooling systems from Samsung Electronics.
- Site construction from Samsung C&T.
- Backup batteries from Samsung SDI.
The partnership signals a shift from component sales to infrastructure design, with power being the key constraint. Helix intends to secure energy supply through direct investments and partnerships with developers like Vistra.
As Adam Selipsky stated, the partnership will accelerate the rollout of AI infrastructure for hyperscalers worldwide.
KKR and Samsung share a connection; KKR has invested approximately $9bn in South Korea since 2009, including $820m in Samsung SDS. They have also collaborated on SK Horizon, an AI data center venture with SK Telecom.
In August, KKR participated in Nvidia's $500bn financing platform for AI infrastructure alongside Apollo, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, and Goldman Sachs.
Investors are increasingly focusing on companies offering integrated power and data center solutions. Notable deals include the $40 billion Aligned takeover, the largest data center deal ever, and Firmus (supported by Nvidia), which is preparing for its IPO after securing contracts with OpenAI and Meta.
By Cristian Dina, CRO at The Next Web
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Cristian Dina is the CRO at The Next Web. He has interviewed 300+ industry leaders and authored the book King of Networking, establishing himself as one of the most connected and respected voices in the tech ecosystem. At 23, Cristian was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 2025 list.