Volato Pivots to AI Data Centers in $500M Merger
Volato Group Inc. has agreed to merge with Alignment Engine Inc. in a transaction valuing the artificial intelligence infrastructure company at approximately $500 million, accelerating Volato’s shift toward data centers and high-performance computing.
NYSE American-listed Volato, which trades under the ticker SOAR, will remain the publicly traded parent. Alignment Engine’s shareholders will receive securities convertible into approximately 95% of the combined company’s fully diluted common stock, according to a regulatory filing.
The transaction centers on Alignment Engine’s powered industrial campus in Ohio. The company said the property has 154 megawatts of power available and a near-term path to at least 480 MW, although detailed development timelines and capital requirements were not disclosed.
Alignment Engine plans to use the site for high-performance graphics-processing-unit computing, advanced networking, AI model training and inference, and other power-intensive workloads.
“Power and compute capacity have become critical constraints on the continued expansion of AI,” Alignment Engine CEO Chris Ensey said. “We aren’t starting with a greenfield site and a plan to find power.”
The merger represents a significant strategic pivot for Volato, which became publicly traded through a 2023 special-purpose acquisition company transaction and was initially centered on private aviation. The company began pursuing AI infrastructure and technology acquisitions earlier this year.
“When we announced our move into AI infrastructure, we said we were looking for an opportunity capable of fundamentally changing the scale and direction of Volato,” CEO Matt Liotta said.
The merger is expected to close after customary conditions are satisfied. Closing does not require prior Volato shareholder approval, though investors will vote later on converting the preferred securities issued to Alignment Engine shareholders into common stock.
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