Jet.AI, a company that develops AI solutions for the aviation industry, is selling its aviation business and pivoting to developing data centers.

For its debut project, the company is planning a 50MW facility around Las Vegas, though few details are available.

Announced this week, FlyExclusive will acquire the business in conjunction with Jet.AI's “focus on being a pure-play AI solutions company.”

The deal is being paid for in shares, with Jet.AI shareholders receiving new Class A common shares in FlyExclusive to account for the portion of the aviation business being spun-off. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025.

"This business combination with FlyExclusive offers our shareholders the opportunity to benefit from growth in both private aviation and AI," said Jet.AI founder and executive chairman, Mike Winston. "FlyExclusive, the fifth-largest operator in the industry by hours flown, is a natural fit, with clear synergies given the common aircraft we operate."

Founded in 2018, Jet.AI’s software segment features the B2C CharterGPT app, the Ava agentic booking AI, and the B2B Jet.AI Operator platform. The aviation segment features jet aircraft fractions [akin to a timeshare on private aircraft] jet cards, on-fleet charter, management, and buyer's brokerage. The company flew five aircraft and recently signed a deal to buy three Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 planes.

In a letter to shareholders, Winston explained Jet.AI’s pivot to data centers in more detail. The company has developed several AI-focused products – including a large language model agent for private aviation – but noted a “lack of reliable uptime for the computational resources we depend on, which has occasionally slowed down our ability to deliver services to our customers.”

“Based in Las Vegas as we are, there is plentiful land, solar power, and natural gas available to us,” he said. “We’ve signed a letter of intent for our first 50MW project as part of a new 120-acre campus that will allow room for the phased construction of a full gigawatt of capacity in the years ahead.

“This isn’t a flashy move, but it’s a smart one. These data centers are the bedrock of the AI economy, and their demand will only grow. We think this investment will do two things: it will strengthen our ability to scale the tools we’re building, and it will create long-term value that’s tangible, stable, and meaningful for you - our shareholders.”

Hard Rock Cafe franchisee apparently pivots to data centers

This month also saw a restaurant services company announce a pivot to data centers, with plans to repurpose an office facility outside Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia for data center use.

HRC World, which has previously been engaged in providing café management services with a focus on developing tourist-based and event-based revenues for its member restaurants, recently announced a renewed data center focus.

“The company has been actively involved in the research and development of artificial intelligence solutions for its member restaurants,” it said in a recent stock exchange announcement. “Through these R&D efforts, HRC identified a significant market gap for data center facility providers who serve as sophisticated landlords to data center operators.”

Since April last year, HRC has allowed a customer to utilize its third-party data center facility, which was originally designated for its own artificial intelligence R&D activities.

“Encouraged by the demand, the company has also secured a pipeline of confirmed and potential customers who have expressed strong interest in leasing data center facilities that HRC plans to provide in the coming months,” the company said.

The UK-registered company, which is listed on the Nasdaq First North in Copenhagen, intends to raise up to $10 million through the issuance of Convertible Loan Notes to fund its expansion.

In its interim results posted in December, the company said its HRC World Sdn Bhd subsidiary is in the process of finalizing a Sale and Purchase Agreement to acquire commercial office space in the suburb of Subang Jaya, located on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“This property encompasses 50,000 square feet of commercial floor space and is well-suited for operating a small data center,” the company said. “Additionally, it offers 100,000 square feet of parking space that can be partially repurposed for supporting equipment related to the data center.”

Further details weren't shared.

According to its website, HRC World's business started as a food & beverage franchisee, representing the Hard Rock Cafe chain in mainland China since 2013 – before exiting the country around 2018.

HRC now describes itself as an “aspiring EPCC and O&M service company focused on green energy, data center infrastructure, and renewable energy solutions.”

The company says it is currently venturing into the development and lease of energy-efficient data center facilities and renewable energy, and is exploring energy projects including mini-hydro, commercial and industrial solar systems, biogas energy generation, and portable nuclear reactors, as well as grid and mobile energy storage solutions.