UAE's Mubadala Investment Co. in talks to invest up to $6.3 billion in major AI data center project in Japan's Akita Prefecture

Aug 7, 2026

United States startup Bitgrit and Japanese IT firm S2 are planning a massive 2 trillion yen ($12.6 billion) artificial intelligence data center in Akita Prefecture, designed with a 500-megawatt capacity. The United Arab Emirates' sovereign wealth fund, Mubadala Investment Co., is in talks to invest up to 1 trillion yen ($6.3 billion to $6.8 billion) to back the project. The region's abundant offshore wind and water resources, combined with Japan's geopolitical stability, make it a highly attractive hub for critical digital infrastructure.

Akita AI data center project

▪The total project cost for the Akita artificial intelligence data center is projected to reach approximately 2 trillion yen, or about 12.6 billion dollars, when the facility begins operating.
▪The planned Akita artificial intelligence data center is designed with a power capacity of up to 500 megawatts, which would rank it among the largest data centers in Japan.
▪Bitgrit plans to begin operating a smaller 1.5-megawatt data center in Akita City by the end of 2027 to test Nvidia's high-performance artificial intelligence servers and power management technology.
▪United States artificial intelligence startup Bitgrit and Akita City-based IT company S2 are planning to build one of Japan's largest artificial intelligence data centers in Akita Prefecture.

Mubadala Investment funding

▪United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Japan Shihab Al Faheem is scheduled to visit Akita Prefecture in mid-August 2026 to meet Governor Norihisa Satake and Akita Mayor Jun Numaya to discuss the data center project.
▪United Arab Emirates sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Co. is considering an investment of up to 1 trillion yen, or approximately 6.3 billion to 6.8 billion dollars, in the Akita data center project.
▪A spokesperson for the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Co. declined to comment on the potential investment in the Akita data center project.

Renewable energy infrastructure

▪Akita Prefecture was selected for the data center project due to its abundant renewable energy resources, including offshore wind power and water resources for cooling infrastructure.
▪Akita Prefecture is a leading offshore wind hub in Japan, with more than 2 million kilowatts of generating capacity expected across four offshore areas.

Japan geopolitical stability

▪Major semiconductor firms, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, Tower Semiconductor Ltd, and Micron Technology Inc, have invested billions of dollars in Japan following the country's strategic industry policies.
▪Japan is drawing interest as an investment destination for critical digital infrastructure because it is viewed as relatively safe, stable, and insulated from rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and elsewhere.
▪The Japanese government is designating several regions, including Akita, as priority investment zones for sectors such as artificial intelligence data centers and semiconductor manufacturing to attract global funding.

Construction consortium partners

▪Japanese telecommunications carriers, general contractors, and energy companies are expected to participate in the construction and operation of the Akita data center project.
▪Bitgrit and S2 plan to establish a special-purpose company to seek investment and loans from Mubadala Investment Co. and other overseas investment funds for the Akita data center project.