LightHouse Data Centers, a turnkey developer and operator of data centers, has partnered with Wharton Digital, the investment arm of Wharton Equity Partners, to launch a platform focused on developing, owning, and operating hyperscale data centers across North America.
According to a press release, the collaboration combines LightHouse’s expertise in hyperscale development, leasing, and operations, with Wharton’s institutional capital and four decades of real estate experience. The platform aims to deliver over 2 GW of capacity to meet rising demand from hyperscale, AI, and cloud customers amid industry-wide supply constraints.
As part of the partnership, Wharton has invested in LightHouse and contributed its powered land assets and properties to the platform, creating a development pipeline spanning both hyperscale campuses and major metro infill sites.
Peter C. Lewis, Wharton and LightHouse Chairman, said, “We are in the very early stages of one of the greatest paradigm shifts our world has ever seen and I am excited to build something special and differentiated in delivering the infrastructure needed to support our digital economy.”
Nick Etscheid, LightHouse, co-founder and CEO, said, “We are excited to join forces with Wharton to build a premier data center platform at a time of unprecedented demand, and this partnership allows us to accelerate delivery of next-generation infrastructure precisely when the market needs it.”
Ben Basson, co-founder and Chief Development Officer, LightHouse Data Centers, said, “We are seeing unprecedented demand for capacity in 2026 and 2027, our team is uniquely positioned to deliver large-scale capacity on accelerated timelines for our customers.”
LightHouse currently has approximately 300 MW of near-term power capacity and over 2 GW in active development across the Southeast, Southwest, and Midwest, with additional infill locations near major metropolitan areas. The company plans to deliver multiple data center campuses in late 2026 and early 2027, each with significant follow-on power capacity.
These facilities are designed for high-density AI workloads, including liquid-cooled architectures, while also supporting traditional hyperscaler services. LightHouse’s modular framework, OEM partnerships, and operational discipline aim to enable rapid deployment without compromising resilience, efficiency, or mission-critical performance.