Meta strikes new 1.6-gigawatt AI computing deal with data center startup Crusoe

The AI race has reached a point where success is measured in gigawatts.

Meta has signed new agreements with AI infrastructure startup Crusoe that will give the company access to roughly 1.6 gigawatts of computing capacity across two data centers in Texas and Missouri, according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter.

The scale is difficult to ignore. One gigawatt can supply electricity to roughly 750,000 U.S. homes. Combined, the capacity Meta is securing from Crusoe represents one of the latest examples of how aggressively the biggest technology companies are competing for the computing resources needed to train and run advanced AI systems.

“Meta Platforms Inc. has secured new agreements to get AI computing power from data center developer Crusoe, bolstering the infrastructure it needs to support an ambitious artificial intelligence expansion,” Bloomberg reported.

Bloomberg reported that Meta is under contract to purchase computing capacity from Crusoe facilities in Childress, Texas, and Warrenton, Missouri. Financial terms were not disclosed, and it remains unclear when the capacity will be delivered.

Why Meta Is Racing to Secure Every Available Gigawatt for AI

The deal comes as Meta ramps up spending on AI infrastructure at a pace rarely seen in the technology industry. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has made AI a central focus of the company’s future, placing heavy bets on AI assistants, AI agents, recommendation systems, and large language models.

Meta recently pledged to invest $600 billion in U.S. infrastructure and jobs over the next three years, part of a broader effort to build the data centers and computing systems needed to support its AI ambitions.

The agreement marks another major win for Crusoe, a startup that has become one of the most closely watched companies in AI infrastructure.

TechStartups covered Crusoe last year after the company raised $1.37 billion in Series E funding, pushing its valuation above $10 billion. The round was co-led by Valor Equity Partners and Mubadala Capital and was aimed at accelerating the construction of gigawatt-scale AI data centers.

Founded in 2018 by Chase Lochmiller and Cully Cavness, Crusoe began as a company focused on using stranded natural gas to power cryptocurrency mining operations. As demand for AI computing surged, the company shifted its focus and started building large-scale AI infrastructure.

That pivot has transformed Crusoe into one of the fastest-growing players in the sector.

Today, the company works with some of the biggest names in technology, including Microsoft, Oracle, and OpenAI. Its business spans data center development, cloud computing, energy infrastructure, and GPU services for AI startups and enterprises.

What separates Crusoe from many traditional data center operators is its attempt to control nearly every layer of the process. The company develops energy sources, builds facilities, deploys computing infrastructure, and operates cloud services under one roof.

That approach has helped Crusoe move quickly at a time when demand for AI compute continues to outpace available supply.

The company recently brought the first phase of its 1.2-gigawatt campus in Abilene, Texas, online just one year after construction began. A separate 1.8-gigawatt project in Wyoming is already underway, contributing to a growing network that now exceeds 3.4 gigawatts of planned and operational capacity across the United States and international markets.

Crusoe has been expanding its cloud business at the same time. Its GPU-focused Crusoe Cloud platform serves AI companies including Cursor, Decart, Fireworks, Odyssey, and Together AI.

For Meta, the latest agreement reflects a larger reality shaping the AI industry. The race is no longer centered on who has the best model. It is increasingly about who can secure enough electricity, data center capacity, and computing hardware to keep those models running.

And in that race, gigawatts have become one of the most valuable currencies in technology.

Crusoe Founders