TROOPS, a Hong Kong money-lending and property group listed on Nasdaq, will commit $12 million to launch a business unit building AI computing infrastructure in Southeast Asia.
In a statement on Thursday, TROOPS said it will make a first $6 million allocation by the end of 2026, while evaluating sites, partners, and assets across Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Malaysia’s Johor region is a key focus, thanks to its pacey growth.
Malaysia has become one of the Asia-Pacific’s fastest-growing data-center markets. The Malaysian Investment Development Authority recorded MYR385.7 billion ($94.5 billion), in approved data-center investments from 2021 to mid-2026.
Johor has about 850 MW of operating capacity, 1,800 MW under construction and 2,700 MW planned. Malaysia’s total capacity is projected to reach 2,055 MW by the end of 2026.
TROOPS also seeks a future partnership with Bfarms365, a Texas company, to offer services such as GPU rental, AI inference, and edge computing.
Chief executive Damian Thurnheer said Southeast Asia, and Malaysia in particular, have become a hub for building Asia’s computing capacity. The move can extend the group’s technology work, the executive added.