EdgeMode and BlackBerry Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) plan to merge and create BLACK AI, a publicly listed platform for developing AI infrastructure across international markets. The proposed combination would bring together EdgeMode's AI infrastructure portfolio and BlackBerry AIF's experience in project development, renewable energy, and infrastructure, starting with Spain and Panama as initial markets.
The companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, with the merger pending final commercial terms, due diligence, and closing conditions. BLACK AI's strategy will span the full development stack: land, power, permitting, engineering, connectivity, capital, and strategic partnerships.
Vision 2035 and the monetisation plan
The long-term strategy is structured around Vision 2035, which sets out how BLACK AI plans to capture value at different points in a project's lifecycle. The company will develop AI infrastructure projects to the Ready-to-Build stage, move selected projects through construction when warranted, and hold some strategically owned infrastructure to generate recurring cash flow once operational.
This multi-stage approach means the platform isn't dependent on a single route to revenue.
Why the merger made sense
EdgeMode CEO Charlie Faulkner credited his counterpart Jose Mora, CEO of BlackBerry AIF, noting that the two companies were building toward the same goal rather than competing ones.
"What excites me most isn't the transaction itself, it's the partnership behind it," Faulkner said. "Over the past year, Jose, Simon, and I have built enormous trust, respect, and friendship. The more we worked together, the more obvious it became that we weren't trying to build competing businesses, we were trying to build the same company."
Faulkner also pointed to the team Mora has assembled: "Jose has assembled an outstanding team with exceptional technical and commercial expertise, and together we believe we have the opportunity to build something truly special."
Both companies say AI infrastructure development now demands far more than data centres. Because it is an industry where power, procurement, and permitting are as important as the technology itself, BlackBerry AIF and EdgeMode say the merger positions them to operate across jurisdictions as a single fin solutions company.
EdgeMode's wider European built-in strategy
This merger follows a 2025 alliance with SUB1 Data Centres, which was created to fast-track sustainable, high-capacity facilities in Sweden and Spain. That collaboration gives EdgeMode local market knowledge in both countries as both companies develop infrastructure designed for high performance computing AI workloads.
EdgeMode says it has been building toward a European network, and the BlackBerry AIF deal extends that reach into new territory.
Why this matters for IT and development professionals
If you work in IT infrastructure, cloud operations, or engineering, this merger in itself isn't the news - it's the shape of the industry it signals. AI infrastructure demand is moving beyond hardware and data centres into land, power, and permitting. That means IT groups will need to coordinate with planners, renewable energy suppliers, and grid engineers earlier in the project lifecycle.
For IT and dev pros, the practical takeaway: the scarce resource in AI is no longer just compute. It's land, grid capacity, and people who can structure projects across construction, permitting, and data centre engineering. The market will continue to consolidate around companies that can manage the full stack - and the talent who can navigate both the technology and the regulatory side will be in demand.
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