IREN ($IREN) Signs $9.7 Billion AI Cloud Deal with Microsoft
IREN ($IREN), a large-scale AI cloud infrastructure provider known for its data centers and GPU-powered computing platforms, announced a five-year, $9.7 billion contract with Microsoft ($MSFT) to supply cloud services powered by NVIDIA GB300 GPUs.
Under the deal, IREN will provide Microsoft access to its GPU cloud network through 2030, with 20% of the contract value prepaid. The GPUs will be deployed in stages through 2026 at IREN’s massive 750MW Childress, Texas campus, which will host advanced, liquid-cooled data centers supporting up to 200MW of AI computing capacity.
IREN said the agreement strengthens its position as a key AI infrastructure partner for global hyperscalers and expands its reach across North America. Microsoft’s Jonathan Tinter said the collaboration “unlocks new growth opportunities” and combines IREN’s power infrastructure with Microsoft’s AI leadership.
Stock Price Reaction
$IREN shares rose 11.5% after the announcement, as investors viewed the Microsoft deal as a major validation of IREN’s growing role in the AI cloud ecosystem.
Amazon ($AMZN) Secures $38 Billion Partnership with OpenAI
Amazon ($AMZN) announced a multi-year, $38 billion partnership between its cloud unit Amazon Web Services (AWS) and OpenAI, giving the ChatGPT maker immediate access to AWS’s large-scale computing infrastructure for its advanced AI workloads.
Under the agreement, AWS will provide Amazon EC2 UltraServers featuring hundreds of thousands of NVIDIA GPUs and the ability to scale to tens of millions of CPUs through 2032. The infrastructure will support OpenAI’s training and deployment of new generative AI models, including future versions of ChatGPT.
AWS said the deal highlights its leadership in providing high-performance, secure, and scalable cloud infrastructure for frontier AI developers. CEO Matt Garman noted that AWS’s systems will serve as “the backbone for OpenAI’s most ambitious workloads.”
All capacity is expected to be deployed by the end of 2026, with additional expansion planned through 2027 and beyond.
Stock Price Reaction
$AMZN shares gained 4% after the announcement.
Intuitive Machines ($LUNR) to Acquire Lanteris Space Systems
Intuitive Machines ($LUNR), a U.S. space technology company known for its lunar missions and space infrastructure services, announced plans to acquire Lanteris Space Systems—formerly Maxar Space Systems—from Advent International for $800 million in a cash-and-stock transaction.
The deal marks a major step in Intuitive Machines’ transformation from a lunar lander specialist to a multi-domain space prime, with operations spanning low-Earth orbit, deep space, and lunar missions. Once complete, the combined company is expected to generate more than $850 million in annual revenue and hold a $920 million backlog, according to company estimates.
Lanteris manufactures high-reliability spacecraft for national security, civil, and commercial missions. Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus said the acquisition positions the company “directly in the flow of multi-billion-dollar space programs,” strengthening its ability to deliver across defense and NASA projects, including the Artemis and Lunar Terrain Vehicle programs.
Advent International, Lanteris’ current owner, will retain an equity stake in the combined company. The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approval.
Stock Price Reaction
$LUNR shares fell 10% following the announcement.
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