Against the backdrop of the ongoing global competition in artificial intelligence and the emergence of digital infrastructure as a national strategic core asset, the grand plan of a startup company has unexpectedly attracted international attention. In a special merger in October 2025, Core AI Holdings was born and announced in November that it will invest $5 billion to build a new generation of data center networks in Malaysia and Uzbekistan. This investment scale is equivalent to three times the total foreign investment in the data center field of the two countries in the past three years. It reflects not only the urgent demand for computing infrastructure in emerging markets, but also the radical layout of global capital in the AI wave for emerging tracks.

New players born from cross-border mergers

Mobile game developer Core Gaming has teamed up with financially struggling communication equipment manufacturer Siyata Mobile in an attempt to open up new horizons through transformation. The latter has been continuously losing money since 2021, and its stock price has fallen to a historical low before the merger. This merger is seen as a strategic attempt by the two companies to break through development bottlenecks, and choosing the currently hottest AI infrastructure track is undoubtedly a hope to reshape market valuation.

The CEO of the new company, Aitan Zakarin, stated that the company's goal is to "collaborate with public and private partners to create a globally distributed AI infrastructure ecosystem." At the same time, the company has also launched an artificial intelligence digital marketing business called Core Digital. However, it is worth noting that Zakarin continues to serve as the CEO of Core Gaming, and the company's official website still positions itself as an AI driven mobile game developer. This multi line strategy makes its core business direction appear unclear.

Dual layout of mature markets and emerging markets

The company's site selection strategy demonstrates a forward-looking judgment on market opportunities. Johor, Malaysia, as a hotspot for data center construction in Southeast Asia, has a well-developed infrastructure and mature industrial ecosystem, which is in line with the general logic of data center investment.

But Uzbekistan's choice is particularly noteworthy. Although this Central Asian country is actively promoting digital transformation, its data center industry is still in its infancy. At present, there are only six small data centers concentrated in the capital city in China, which have obvious shortcomings in power supply, network infrastructure, and professional talent. Making large-scale investments here may not only seize market opportunities, but also inevitably face more uncertainty.

Industry doubts and future challenges

The biggest challenge facing this plan is its execution capability. The Core AI Holdings team lacks experience in data center design, construction, and operation, and this industry has extremely high technical requirements and huge funding barriers. There is a clear information gap between the $5 billion investment commitment and the specific plans currently announced. The company only stated that it will release more details in the first quarter of 2026, but did not specify the specific scale of the project, funding sources, and implementation schedule.

The current global data center market is facing dual pressures of tight power supply and rising financing costs, and new entrants need to have unique advantages to establish themselves. Whether Core AI Holdings' plan can be implemented depends not only on funding and technology, but also on its deep understanding of the local market and ability to integrate resources. Keywords: International News and Information, International News Network

This new company's cross-border attempt may become a catalyst for the development of digital infrastructure in emerging markets, as well as a typical case of excessive expansion in the industry. As the details of the 2026 project are gradually announced, the market will make a clearer assessment of its feasibility. Anyway, this bold plan has added new variables to the global data center industry landscape.Editor/Cheng Liting