The chips provide the heavy computing power needed to build and run AI, allowing companies to develop advanced models without investing in their own costly infrastructure.
Led by CEO Nik de Ynchausti, YCO plans to launch the first phase in the first quarter of 2027, giving local companies, startups and government agencies access to the computing power needed to build and run advanced AI systems.
Singapore-based Aolani will provide the AI technology, financing and operating capabilities, while YCO supplies the data center infrastructure and local expertise.
Management’s view
“The Philippines is now ready to scale on digital infrastructure with its robust submarine cable systems and growing renewable energy sources,” de Ynchausti said in a statement.
“To deliver a product that hasn’t been built in the Philippines, we partnered with Science Park of the Philippines Inc., the pioneer and one of the largest industrial park developers in the country, with best-in-country power, water and connectivity infrastructure aligned with our sustainability goals. Our partnerships with Aolani and SPPI complement YCO Cloud’s commitment to deliver green digital infrastructure to contribute to the next wave of growth in the country,” he added.
Major data center player
YCO Global is building a three-data center network in the Philippines, including two facilities in Batangas with a combined 50-megawatt capacity and a third planned in Bataan, data from the International Finance Corp. showed.
The Batangas sites have been built, while the Bataan facility remains in the planning stage.
IFC is planning an up to $170 million financing package into YCO Global Cloud, which includes equity worth $20 million and loans of $150 million.
From old economy to AI
The project opens a new chapter for the Ynchausti family, whose Philippine business roots stretch back to Ynchausti y Compañia in 1854, with interests over the decades spanning shipping, sugar, abaca, paints, mining and insurance.
Today, the family is building a new footprint in digital infrastructure, with a pipeline of three Philippine data centers estimated to cost about $1 billion, according to IFC.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
