Top investors managing $3tn to gain access to UK infrastructure projects via AI platform
Top global investors managing around $3 trillion in assets will be given access to “fragmented” British infrastructure projects under plans for an AI platform designed to fix the industry’s investment woes.
Both national and regional projects will be connected to trillions of global capital through the AI platform, dubbed InvestConnect, in a bid to accelerate investment into major construction initiatives.
Dame Susan Langley, Lady Mayor of Canada, will announce the plans at Chancellor Rachel Reeve’s Mansion House dinner on Tuesday night.
The platform, which was developed by InvestConnect Global in partnership with Canada Corporation, connects investors spanning North America, the Gulf and Asia-Pacific, who hold over $3 trillion in assets under management collectively.
“AI is the defining technology of our generation, and we must embrace the significant opportunities that will boost our economy while safeguarding against the risks,” Reeves said. “By harnessing this technology to connect billions in global investment to UK infrastructure projects, we can boost growth across the country and help cement our position as the fastest adopter of AI in the G7.”
Streamlining the process
InvestConnect aims to lure in capital through streamlining the processes, packaging opportunities for investors and detailing information “more efficiently”. The names of the investors were not disclosed.
The platform, which is expected to launch in Autumn 2026, will initially focus on large-scale infrastructure and real asset projects, typically representing transactions of £100m or more.
Cornwall Council, the Scottish Government and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority are the platform’s first partners and the City of London is looking to attract further partners before the launch.
Unlocking fresh capital
The creation of the platform comes as public bodies across the country look to address the “long-recognised challenge” of the investment gap that has stymied British infrastructure development.
The UK has struggled to attract foreign capital despite the global appetite remaining strong.
Daniel Cannizzaro, founder of InvestConnect, said: “The UK offers some of the most compelling long-term investment opportunities in the world, yet they remain fragmented, inconsistently presented, and slow and costly to assess.”
A number of projects have run into funding walls in recent years, including long-awaited HS2 high-speed rail. Estimated costs for the project have ballooned to £102.7bn.
According to the latest report from The City UK, the country requires roughly £345bn of private capital over the next decade to close the infrastructure funding gap.
“The UK’s challenge is not a shortage of capital or a lack of investable projects. It is connecting that capital with opportunities in every corner of the country,” Dame Susan Langley said.
“Capital comes where it feels welcome…the UK has the innovation, talent, and ambition to help solve the defining challenges facing the global economy.”