Data centres aren’t sexy but essential and increasingly lucrative

With US$4.7 billion pumped into direct data centre investments in Asia-Pacific in 2024 alone, and momentum holding strong this year, investors are circling. AI and cloud computing are fuelling demand. But is this asset class really within reach for retail investors?

In this episode of Money Hacks, a podcast by The Business Times hosted by Howie Lim, we find out what’s driving the data centre boom and how individuals can get a piece of the pie.

Daphne Tan from CMC Markets and Shun Endo from CBRE unpack the landscape, including how listed Reits especially those with “hyperscaler” tenants like Google or Microsoft offer a way in, why modular designs are keeping things future-proof, and what to watch when it comes to power, scalability, and resilience.

Why listen?

Because data centres are the quiet overachievers of tech infrastructure

Steady demand, long leases, and capital-sticky tenants make them a surprisingly defensive play.

Because investing doesn’t always mean betting on the next app

Data centres are how the internet stays on. Reits let you invest in the plumbing not just the party.

Because risks exist—but they’re being managed smartly

Think disaster planning, power redundancy, and upgrades without full rebuilds.

Because with AI exploding, someone’s got to house the servers

And chances are, it’s one of the players mentioned in this episode.

Money Hacks is the flagship personal finance podcast from The Business Times, hosted by Howie Lim. You can listen to past episodes including recent takes on gold, ETFs, and long-term investing on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or at bt.sg/podcasts.

Have feedback or episode ideas? Drop the team a note at btpodcasts@sph.com.sg.

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Written and hosted by: Howie Lim (howielim@sph.com.sg)

With Daphne Tan, head of business development, CMC Markets and Shun Endo, head of data centre, capital markets, Asia Pacific, CBRE

Edited by: Howie Lim & Claressa Monteiro

Produced by: Howie Lim & Chai Pei Chieh

A podcast by BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

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