Robo.ai Forms Strategic Joint Venture with Tachyon9 to Accelerate Global AI Infrastructure Deployment

Rhea-AI Summary

Robo.ai (NASDAQ: AIIO) formed a majority-owned joint venture with Tachyon9 to build and operate high-performance AI data centers in the UAE and key global markets. The JV's first project is a 20 MW AI data center targeted to be operational within 12–24 months of site acquisition.

The JV targets APAC and MENA, cites a $200B global infrastructure gap, an $16–25B immediate 2026 market, and a regional TAM of $6–10B. Key technical aims: 2–3x rack density via liquid cooling and up to 62% CapEx reduction through Equipment-as-a-Service.

Positive

• 20 MW AI data center targeted, operational in 12–24 months after site acquisition
• JV majority-owned by Robo.ai, aligning chip supply with facility operations
• Potential up to 62% initial CapEx reduction via Equipment-as-a-Service model
• Liquid cooling to unlock 2–3x rack density in existing facilities
• Targets an immediate market opportunity of $16–25B in 2026 and regional TAM of $6–10B

Negative

• Grid connection queues of 3–7 years create potential deployment delays
• Modern GPUs can exceed traditional cooling limits by 4–8x, raising operational complexity
• Project timeline depends on site acquisition, introducing execution and timing uncertainty

Key Figures

Initial AI data center capacity: 20 MW Data center timeline: 12–24 months Global edge AI data center market: $50 billion +5 more

8 metrics

Initial AI data center capacity 20 MW First JV AI data center initiative in APAC or MENA

Data center timeline 12–24 months Projected time to operation after site acquisition

Global edge AI data center market $50 billion Projected size by 2030

Global infrastructure gap $200 billion Estimated value of Tier 1 AI infrastructure gap

Crisis resolution market $16–25 billion Projected 2026 global market for immediate crisis resolution

Rack density uplift 2–3x Targeted increase from liquid cooling retrofits

CapEx reduction 62% Potential initial CapEx reduction via Equipment-as-a-Service model

Regional TAM $6–10 billion Immediate TAM for APAC and MENA infrastructure solutions

Market Reality Check

Price: $0.2570 Vol: Volume 3,595,793 is below...

low vol

$0.2570 Last Close

Volume Volume 3,595,793 is below the 20-day average of 8,390,677 (relative volume 0.43). low

Technical Shares trade well below the 200-day MA of 0.95 at a price of 0.265, and sit 90.59% below the 52-week high and 14.17% above the 52-week low.

Peers on Argus

AIIO gained 2.28% while peers were mixed: VLCN -7.28%, NWTN +16.81%, EMPD +6.42%...

AIIO gained 2.28% while peers were mixed: VLCN -7.28%, NWTN +16.81%, EMPD +6.42%, NIU +2.88%, LVWR -2.32%, indicating a stock-specific move rather than a unified sector trend.

Previous Partnership,AI Reports

4 past events · Latest: Jan 23 (Positive)

Same Type Pattern 4 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Jan 23	AI hardware partnership	Positive	+2.9%	Gold Reseller deal to distribute advanced CPU/GPU and storage across MENA and APAC.
Nov 21	Fintech AI partnership	Positive	-5.1%	MoU with Zand Bank to link intelligent hardware with digital banking and tokenization.
Sep 22	Vehicle JV launch	Positive	+3.7%	RoBUS JV with JW Group to develop smart commercial vehicle product lines in UAE.
Sep 10	eVTOL JV launch	Positive	+1.9%	RoVTOL JV with Ewatt Aerospace to deploy eVTOL aircraft and build UAE assembly.

Pattern Detected

Partnership/AI announcements have generally led to modest single-digit price moves, mostly positive but with at least one negative reaction.

Recent Company History

Over the past several months, Robo.ai has repeatedly used partnership and joint-venture structures to expand its AI and mobility ecosystem. Prior partnership/AI releases on Sep 10, 2025, Sep 22, 2025, Nov 21, 2025, and Jan 23, 2026 covered eVTOL, commercial vehicles, fintech collaboration, and AI hardware distribution. Price reactions ranged from a decline of 5.1% to gains of up to 3.66%. Today’s AI data center JV extends this partnership-driven strategy into infrastructure, consistent with the company’s recent trajectory.

Historical Comparison

partnership,AI

+3.4 %

Average Historical Move

Historical Analysis

Past partnership/AI announcements saw average moves of 3.38%. Today’s 2.28% gain is directionally consistent and sits within that typical magnitude range.

Typical Pattern

Partnership/AI news has evolved from vehicles and eVTOL into fintech and now AI infrastructure, broadening Robo.ai’s ecosystem footprint.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement extends Robo.ai’s partnership-led expansion into AI infrastructure, adding a 20 MW...

Analysis

This announcement extends Robo.ai’s partnership-led expansion into AI infrastructure, adding a 20 MW data center JV focused on high-performance workloads. It complements the recent Gold Reseller agreement for advanced CPU/GPU supply, creating a vertically linked hardware-to-facility chain. Historically, partnership/AI news produced modest single-digit moves averaging 3.38%. Investors may track execution on the 12–24 month build timeline and how the JV taps the projected $6–10 billion regional TAM.

Key Terms

large language model, liquid cooling, capex, total addressable market, +1 more

5 terms

large language model technical

"specifically engineered to support Large Language Model training and mission-critical AI workloads"

A large language model is a computer system trained on vast amounts of text to understand and generate human-like writing, like a very well-read virtual assistant that can summarize, draft, translate, or answer questions. Investors care because it can change how businesses operate and compete—boosting productivity, cutting costs, or enabling new products—while also creating risks around accuracy, regulation, and security that can affect revenue and valuation.

liquid cooling technical

"Liquid Cooling Retrofits: Implementing direct-to-chip and rear-door heat exchanger systems"

Liquid cooling is a method that uses a flowing liquid—like water or a special coolant—to carry heat away from electronic components, similar to how a car radiator moves heat away from an engine. For investors, it matters because it can lower energy and maintenance costs, enable higher-performance computing, reduce the footprint of data centers, and support sustainability targets, all of which can affect a company’s operating margins and capital spending needs.

capex financial

"model to potentially reduce initial CapEx by up to 62%, significantly enhancing project IRR"

Capex, short for capital expenditures, refers to the money a company spends to buy, upgrade, or maintain physical assets such as buildings, equipment, or technology. It matters to investors because these investments can help a company grow and improve its long-term performance, but they also represent significant costs that can impact profitability and cash flow.

total addressable market financial

"The JV identifies a massive Total Addressable Market (TAM) in the APAC and MENA regions"

Total addressable market is the total potential sales opportunity for a product or service if it were to reach every possible customer. It helps investors understand the maximum size of the market and the growth potential for a business. Think of it as the entire pie available to be shared, indicating how big the opportunity could be.

ai data centers technical

"operating high-performance AI data centers and next-generation digital infrastructure"

AI data centers are specialized facilities built to store massive datasets and run powerful processors that train and operate artificial intelligence models — think of them as factories designed specifically for building and running AI. They matter to investors because they require large, ongoing capital and energy investments while driving revenue for cloud and chip providers; changes in demand, costs, or regulation can materially affect returns and company valuation.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

DUBAI, UAE, Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Robo.ai Inc. (NASDAQ: AIIO) ("Robo.ai" or the "Company"), a technology company dedicated to the AI machine economy, today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Robo.ai Investments L.L.C.-FZ, has entered into a definitive Joint Venture agreement with Tachyon9 Corporation ("Tachyon9"), a U.S.-based advanced data center infrastructure provider. The Joint Venture (the "JV") will focus on investing in, developing, and operating high-performance AI data centers and next-generation digital infrastructure in United Arab Emirates and key global markets.

The JV, which will be majority owned by Robo.ai, has established its first strategic initiative: the development of a 20 MW AI data center, targeted for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) or Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region, this facility is projected to be operational within 12 to 24 months of site acquisition. The project is specifically engineered to support Large Language Model training and mission-critical AI workloads.

Closing the "Silicon + Infrastructure" Loop

This partnership follows Robo.ai's recent announcement regarding its Gold Reseller agreement with The Ghazi Group to supply advanced CPU, GPU and AI Inferencing as the edge hardware solutions. By deploying these top-tier resources within the JV's proprietary high-efficiency facilities, Robo.ai effectively closes the loop between "chip supply" and "facility operations," optimizing compute costs and ensuring service stability for clients.

Shahal Khan, Executive Chairman of Tachyon9: "The global edge-based AI data center market is projected to surpass $50 billion by 2030, with the Middle East and Asia capturing a rapidly growing share. Tachyon9's leadership in U.S. data center innovation, combined with Robo.ai's regional expertise in robotics and edge computing, creates a powerful platform to drive the next generation of AI infrastructure across these high-growth markets."

Benjamin Zhai, CEO of Robo.ai: "This Joint Venture completes a critical piece of our infrastructure puzzle. Having secured access to the 'compute engine' (chips) last week, we have now secured the 'chassis' (physical infrastructure). In an era of global capacity scarcity, this vertical integration ensures we can deliver stable, efficient, and scalable AI solutions to our clients."

Strategic Logic: Addressing the $200B Infrastructure Gap

The JV addresses a critical "Tier 1 Crisis" in the sector: a global infrastructure gap valued at approximately $200 billion. With grid connection queues stretching 3–7 years and modern GPUs exceeding traditional cooling limits by 4–8x, the industry faces a severe bottleneck.

Leveraging Tachyon9's technical expertise, the JV targets the "Immediate Crisis Resolution" market—projected to reach $16–25 billion globally in 2026 —through three key pillars:

1. Liquid Cooling Retrofits: Implementing direct-to-chip and rear-door heat exchanger systems to unlock 2–3x rack density in existing facilities without requiring new power infrastructure.
   
   
2. Edge Micro Data Centers: Rapid deployment of prefabricated units to support 5G and autonomous vehicle networks, bypassing the 16–24 month timelines of traditional builds.
   
   
3. Capital Efficiency: Utilizing an "Equipment-as-a-Service" model to potentially reduce initial CapEx by up to 62%, significantly enhancing project IRR.

Regional Opportunity: A Multi-Billion Dollar Target Addressable Market

The JV identifies a massive Total Addressable Market (TAM) in the APAC and MENA regions. Driven by national-level digital initiatives—such as the UAE's "We The UAE 2031" vision and smart city projects in Saudi Arabia—Robo.ai estimates these regions will drive 30–40% of the global demand for these infrastructure solutions.

This creates an immediate regional TAM of $6–10 billion. By bypassing grid constraints through advanced efficiency technologies, the JV is positioned to capture significant value in these underserved markets.

About Tachyon9 Corporation

Tachyon9 Corporation is a U.S.-based specialist in data center development and operations. Known for strategically creating technologically advanced data centers by leasing powerful GPU networks to top-tier data aggregators, Tachyon9 excels in liquid cooling and energy efficiency solutions designed for high-density AI workloads.

About Robo.ai Inc.

Robo.ai Inc. (NASDAQ: AIIO) is a technology company based in the UAE, dedicated to developing a global AI-enabled robotics platform. The company aims to create a decentralized AI network for connecting AI terminals and promoting an intelligent future. Their focus includes integrating AI into smart devices and smart assets.

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual outcomes may differ materially from expectations — please refer to the company's SEC filings for details.

 

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SOURCE Robo.ai Inc.

FAQ

What did Robo.ai (AIIO) announce on January 28, 2026 about a joint venture with Tachyon9?

Robo.ai announced a majority-owned joint venture with Tachyon9 to build AI data centers. According to the company, the JV will develop and operate high-performance AI facilities focused on APAC and MENA, beginning with a 20 MW data center targeted to be operational within 12–24 months after site acquisition.

How large is the first AI data center the AIIO-Tachyon9 JV plans to build and when will it be online?

The JV's first facility is a 20 MW AI data center planned to be operational in 12–24 months. According to the company, the timeline starts after site acquisition and the facility is engineered for LLM training and mission-critical AI workloads.

What cost and efficiency benefits did Robo.ai (AIIO) cite for the joint venture infrastructure model?

Robo.ai said the JV may reduce initial CapEx by up to 62% using Equipment-as-a-Service. According to the company, combining liquid cooling and prefabricated edge units also aims to increase rack density 2–3x and shorten traditional build timelines.

Which markets and addressable opportunities did Robo.ai (AIIO) highlight for the JV with Tachyon9?

The JV targets APAC and MENA, estimating a regional TAM of $6–10 billion. According to the company, national digital initiatives and smart city projects drive 30–40% of global demand, creating near-term opportunities in those regions.

What operational constraints did Robo.ai (AIIO) identify that the JV seeks to address in 2026?

Robo.ai identified long grid connection queues of 3–7 years and cooling limits where GPUs exceed traditional systems by 4–8x. According to the company, the JV focuses on liquid cooling retrofits and edge micro data centers to bypass those bottlenecks.