Groq, a global artificial intelligence (AI) inference firm, has expanded its global AI infrastructure footprint to the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region through its deployment in Equinix’s International Business Exchange (IBX) data center in Sydney, Australia.

Following launches in the United States and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), the collaboration brings Groq’s fast, low-cost and scalable LPU Inference Engine closer to organizations and the public sector in Singapore and the wider APAC region, Equinix said in a statement on Monday.

Under this partnership, Groq and Equinix will establish one of the largest high-speed AI inference infrastructure sites in the country with a 4.5MW Groq facility in Sydney, offering up to 5x faster and lower cost compute power than traditional GPUs and hyperscaler clouds.

Leveraging Equinix Fabric, a software-defined interconnection service, organizations in APAC will benefit from secure, low-latency, high-speed interconnectivity, ensuring seamless access to GroqCloud for production AI workloads, ensuring full control and compliance.

It is noted that the demand and adoption of AI-driven solutions continue to grow in APAC.

According to IDC’s latest Worldwide AI and Generative AI Spending Guide, AI and Generative AI (GenAI) investments in the region are projected to reach $110 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24 percent from 2023 to 2028.

By combining Groq’s cutting-edge AI inference technology with Equinix’s global infrastructure and vendor-neutral connectivity solutions, organizations can efficiently scale their AI workloads while maintaining cost-effectiveness and speed, said the statement.

“The world doesn’t have enough compute for everyone to build AI. That’s why Groq and Equinix are expanding access,
starting in Australia,” said Jonathan Ross, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Groq.

Scott Albin, General Manager, APAC, Groq, also said that APAC is a key growth market for Groq, with over half of our global developers already using GroqCloud based here.

“Our deployment in Equinix’s Sydney data center is our first step to bring high-performance, cost-efficient AI inference closer to the region, enabling secure, low-latency access while supporting data sovereignty and privacy,

“Together, we’re building the infrastructure to drive AI innovation and growth in APAC,” he added.

Cyrus Adaggra, President, APAC, Equinix, said Groq is a pioneer in AI inference, and they are delighted they’re rapidly scaling their high-performance infrastructure globally through Equinix.

“Our unique ecosystems and wide global footprint continue to serve as a connectivity gateway to their customers and enable efficient enterprise AI workflows at scale,” he added.

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