Conecta Infra launches with US$350 million investment to connect South America's leading data center hubs
Neutral fiber network will comprise nearly 6,000 km of owned underground infrastructure, supporting growing demand for cloud and artificial intelligence
SÃO PAULO, March 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Backed by a group of investors led by MissionCo, Rafael Pires, founder of RW Telecom, today announced the launch of Conecta Infra, a new neutral optical infrastructure platform focused on deploying and operating high-capacity connectivity networks across South America.
In the second half of 2025, the company initiated an investment plan of approximately US$350 million to deploy close to 6,000 kilometers of owned network infrastructure, connecting Chile and Argentina to Brazil's main digital infrastructure hubs, while expanding its footprint across strategic cities including Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Brasília, Rio de Janeiro and Fortaleza.
The launch comes during a rapid expansion of digital infrastructure across Latin America, driven by the growth of cloud computing and increasing demand for processing capacity to support artificial intelligence applications. In this context, connectivity between data centers is becoming critical infrastructure: just as supply chains rely on highways to move goods, the digital economy depends on high-capacity fiber networks to transport data between facilities, submarine cable landing stations and major urban centers.
"We are witnessing a new wave of digital infrastructure investment in the region, led by hyperscalers and global data center operators. Conecta was created to provide the connectivity infrastructure required to support this next generation of digital networks," said Rafael Pires, Founder and CEO of Conecta Infra.
The evolution of artificial intelligence workloads has significantly increased requirements for capacity, reliability and low latency, while driving a sharp rise in compute density, with racks evolving from historical levels of 10 kW to more than 100 kW. This shift accelerates GPU adoption and multiplies the demand for interconnections and fiber terminations, in volumes that can be up to four times higher than in traditional architectures. In hyperscale environments highly sensitive to latency, even minor inefficiencies in fiber design can translate into systemic impacts on performance and availability.
Neutral infrastructure for high-performance networks
Conecta Infra operates exclusively as a physical network infrastructure provider, offering dark fiber pairs, dedicated ducts and technical space for customer equipment deployment. The company does not operate optical equipment nor sell data transmission capacity, allowing telecom operators, content providers and hyperscalers to retain full control over their network operations.
Its infrastructure is built as a 100% underground, fully owned duct network, designed according to advanced engineering and operational standards to ensure high reliability and availability. The architecture includes modular sites deployed along routes at intervals of approximately 80 kilometers, equipped with N+1 backup power and ready-to-host customer equipment (In-Line Amplifier sites – ILA).
Platform origins and development
The company was founded in 2019 as RW Telecom by Rafael Pires, an executive with decades of experience leading connectivity projects for infrastructure concessionaires. Leveraging this experience, the company secured key rights-of-way and developed its initial network connecting Praia Grande — a major submarine cable landing point — to the Tamboré data center hub in Barueri (São Paulo), one of the most important data corridors in Brazil.
Since then, the company has expanded its role in interconnecting data centers and submarine cable landing stations, serving global technology and telecom operators.
"Building long-haul fiber networks involves complex operational challenges, including right-of-way negotiations, permitting, civil works and route maintenance. Our model allows hyperscalers to focus their investments on operating their equipment and managing data traffic, while we take full responsibility for the physical network infrastructure," added Pires.
Structural market opportunity
For MissionCo, Conecta Infra emerges at a pivotal moment in the evolution of digital infrastructure.
"The expansion of data centers and artificial intelligence applications is creating unprecedented demand for high-capacity connectivity. We believe Latin America offers a unique opportunity for the development of modern, independent network infrastructure, and Conecta is well positioned to become a key enabler of this growth," said Peter Gudme, Managing Director at MissionCo.
Long-haul fiber networks share characteristics with other forms of critical infrastructure: long-lived assets, low technological obsolescence risk and revenues supported by long-term contracts. With its planned expansion, Conecta Infra aims to establish itself as one of the leading independent optical infrastructure platforms in South America, connecting data center clusters, submarine cable landing stations and major metropolitan areas across the region.
About Conecta Infra
Conecta Infra is a neutral optical infrastructure platform focused on the design, construction and operation of high-capacity connectivity networks across South America. The company is developing more than 6,000 km of owned network infrastructure, connecting Argentina and Chile to Brazil's main digital data center hubs.
Conecta designs and operates fully owned, 100% underground duct and fiber networks, offering dark fiber, dedicated cables, exclusive ducts and technical infrastructure for customer equipment deployment.
Its solutions serve telecom operators, content providers, data center operators and global technology companies requiring resilient, scalable and high-performance connectivity.
More information: https://conectainfra.digital
About MissionCo
MissionCo is a Brazilian private equity firm founded in July 2021 by former partners of Gávea Investimentos, with experience across multiple sectors. Throughout their careers, its partners have participated in multiple liquidity events, including six IPOs on Brazilian and U.S. stock exchanges.
The firm focuses on supporting exceptional Brazilian entrepreneurs through minority investments, contributing to sustainable growth.
MissionCo manages more than R$2 billion in assets.
More information: https://mco.com.br
SOURCE Conecta Infra
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