Technology

FGV Study Identifies Brazil’s Potential to Become a Global Digital Infrastructure Hub

Published

2 months ago

July 7, 2026

Report estimates that expanding Brazil’s digital infrastructure could create more than 230,000 permanent jobs and attract over US$698 billion in investment

BRASÍLIA, Brazil, July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Brazil has the structural advantages to become one of the world’s leading digital infrastructure hubs in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), according to the Study on the Socioeconomic Impact of Establishing Brazil as an International Digital Infrastructure Hub in the AI Era, developed by the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) at the request of Scala Data Centers and Norgás. The study examines the economic impact of expanding digital infrastructure nationwide and identifies the factors that shape Brazil’s competitiveness in the global market.

According to the report, Brazil’s predominantly renewable energy matrix, strategic geographic location, large domestic market, and growing demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence services position the country as a strong contender for global digital infrastructure investment.

The study projects substantial economic gains. In the most ambitious scenario, Brazil would expand its installed digital infrastructure capacity from approximately 1 GW to 13.7 GW by 2035, creating more than 230,000 permanent jobs. Of those, nearly 59,700 direct positions would support data center operations, while approximately 176,500 indirect and induced jobs would emerge across the supply chain and the broader economy. These figures reflect permanent operational employment only and exclude the temporary jobs generated during construction and project development.

The report also estimates that adding 12.7 GW of new capacity would attract between US$431.8 billion and US$698.5 billion in total investment (approximately R$2.3 trillion to R$3.7 trillion). Those investments would fund both physical infrastructures, including land acquisition, civil construction, electrical systems, mechanical and cooling equipment, building infrastructure, and security systems, and information technology equipment such as servers, storage systems, networking equipment, and AI accelerators.

FGV based its analysis on an Input-Output Matrix model, which measures how investments ripple through multiple sectors of the economy. Rather than viewing data centers solely as technology infrastructure, the study identifies them as a catalyst for economic development. Building and operating these facilities stimulates a broad value chain that includes electric power, construction, telecommunications, logistics, engineering, and specialized technical services.

According to the study, the sector’s impact extends far beyond the construction phase. Data centers drive long-term gains in productivity, workforce development, regional economic growth, and business activity across multiple industries.

“The study uses an input-output model to capture the direct, indirect, and induced effects of investments in digital infrastructure, allowing us to measure how these projects activate entire supply chains,” said Charles Schramm, Executive Project Manager at FGV. “Our findings show that the economic benefits extend well beyond the technology sector, generating meaningful gains in employment, income, and economic output across the broader economy.”

The report also benchmarks Brazil against established global digital infrastructure hubs, including Virginia (U.S.), Singapore, Dubai, Japan, Portugal, Canada, and the FLAP-D cluster (Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Dublin), evaluating each market across technological, economic, energy, and regulatory dimensions.

To strengthen Brazil’s competitiveness and unlock its full potential, the study identifies several priorities, including stronger institutional coordination, a stable regulatory framework, and greater certainty around energy planning by aligning grid expansion with new digital infrastructure demand.

The report also concludes that Brazil’s high tax burden on equipment and services undermines its global competitiveness by increasing the cost of bringing advanced technologies and productive capacity into the country.

To address these challenges, FGV proposes a four-part policy agenda:

Industrial policies that encourage domestic hardware manufacturing;Recognition of data centers as strategic infrastructure within Brazil’s power sector, where grid access and energy costs fundamentally shape project economics;A stable legal framework for tax incentives; andRegulatory coordination that aligns industrial, energy, tax, and digital governance policies under a common national strategy.

The study also identifies initiatives such as Redata, lower state import taxes currently under review by Confaz, Ex-Tariff incentives, and Export Processing Zones (ZPEs) as complementary tools that could narrow Brazil’s competitive gap with other global hubs and attract greater investment in digital infrastructure.

FGV also recommends creating a national coordinating body that brings together federal, state, and local governments, sector regulators, and private industry to eliminate overlapping responsibilities, shorten project timelines, and provide greater certainty for future digital infrastructure investment.

According to the report, Brazil’s growth as a global digital infrastructure hub will depend on its ability to strengthen the business environment, expand connectivity, and provide long-term investment certainty. As demand for AI infrastructure continues to accelerate worldwide, countries that align these factors will be best positioned to attract investment, develop industrial ecosystems, and strengthen their role in the global digital economy.

“The world’s leading digital infrastructure markets, particularly the United States and Europe, face growing constraints on expanding capacity, including limited power availability, grid interconnection challenges, and a shortage of suitable land for new developments, even as demand for data processing and artificial intelligence continues to accelerate,” said Luciano Fialho, Corporate Senior Vice President at Scala Data Centers. “Those constraints create an opening for new global hubs. Brazil offers a rare combination of large-scale energy availability, a predominantly renewable power matrix, significant expansion potential, abundant land, and strong connectivity to major international data routes. If the country acts now, it can attract investment on an unprecedented scale, create high-quality jobs, and establish itself as one of the world’s leading digital infrastructure hubs.”

About Scala Data Centers

Scala Data Centers is Latin America’s leading sustainable hyperscale data center platform. Backed by DigitalBridge, the company has invested more than R$12 billion and manages approximately 300 MW of installed and under-development capacity, supported by a land bank of more than 12 million square meters. Scala also has more than 7.1 GW of power capacity reserved for future expansion, supplied entirely by certified renewable energy sources.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fgv-study-identifies-brazils-potential-to-become-a-global-digital-infrastructure-hub-302819523.html

SOURCE Scala Data Centers

Technology

Rocket Money’s Rowan Rewrites What AI Can Do in Personal Finance

Published

9 minutes ago

August 25, 2026

Rocket Money’s new AI financial assistant, developed with Anthropic, takes money management out of apps and dashboards and puts it into conversational texts

DETROIT, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rocket Money, part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), today launched Rowan, an AI agent that goes beyond analysis, monitoring consumer’s finances and even acting on their behalf, all through simple text messaging.

Rocket Money’s AI financial assistant puts management into conversational texts.

Powered by Anthropic, Rowan watches spending around the clock. When it spots a way to save, it sends a text. The consumer replies in plain language and Rowan handles the rest. It can renegotiate recurring bills, cancel subscriptions and even create automated savings transfers.

Most personal finance apps are passive, showing a dashboard that leaves the real work up to the consumer. Rowan does the work for them.

“What we’ve built with Rowan wasn’t possible even 12 months ago,” said Aaron Dignan, VP of Agentic Products at Rocket Money. “It finds the money slipping through the cracks, the forgotten subscriptions, the bills that creep up, and it actually does something about them. That’s the difference between knowing and acting.”

Rowan is built on a sophisticated stack of AI agents trained with Rocket Money data. The result is something unprecedented: a system that monitors your finances, applies advanced reasoning, and proactively engages to give you knowledge and control over your personal finances. Rowan identifies opportunities and executes complex tasks in the real world based on your instructions.

Consider a client that signs up for a free month of streaming that then goes unused. Rowan doesn’t forget, three weeks later it will send a text asking the consumer if they are enjoying the service or if they would like to cancel before incurring a charge. If the member replies “cancel” Rowan contacts the service, cancels the trial and confirms when it is done. One word, no logging in, no lengthy conversations and no hold music.

Maybe someone wants to save money while still enjoying their morning coffee. They simply text Rowan: “Every time I buy a coffee, round up to the nearest dollar and put the extra change in my high-yield savings account.” Rowan sets up the process. From that moment forward, every coffee purchase triggers an automatic rounding and transfer.

That is a monumental leap from passive to proactive financial management, going from “here’s what you spent” to “here’s how I can help.”

The system is also constantly improving. When Rowan encounters something unexpected, such as a subscription service with an unusual cancellation flow, it learns. It diagnoses the issue, finds a solution and deploys it across the entire system. Each edge case solved becomes a permanent improvement for every consumer.

“This architecture moves us from ‘this is cool’ to ‘this is incredibly powerful and can help me maximize my money,” said Chase Adams, VP of AI Engineering at Rocket Money. “We built it with adaptable agents where you need flexibility and strict code where you need certainty, and our team is engaged throughout to provide human verification.”

Rowan is available to select Rocket Money subscribers now as part of a new Premium Plus tier, with broader availability coming later this year.

ABOUT ROCKET MONEY

Rocket Money is a personal finance app designed to help people manage their money, track spending, monitor subscriptions, build savings, and improve their overall financial health. Originally founded as Truebill and acquired by Rocket Companies in 2021, Rocket Money helps users understand where their money is going, identify opportunities to save, manage recurring expenses, track net worth and credit, and take action through features such as subscription management, budgeting, bill negotiation, automated savings, and Rowan, its AI-powered financial agent. Rocket Money is part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), a Detroit-based fintech platform company.

For more information, please visit www.rocketmoney.com.

ABOUT ROCKET COMPANIES

Founded in 1985, Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT) is a Detroit-based fintech platform including mortgage, real estate and personal finance businesses: Rocket Mortgage, Redfin, Rocket Close, Rocket Money and Rocket Loans. With insights from more than 160 million calls with clients each year, 30 petabytes of data and a mission to Help Everyone Home, Rocket Companies is well positioned to be the destination for AI-fueled homeownership. Known for providing exceptional client experiences, J.D. Power has ranked Rocket Mortgage #1 in client satisfaction for primary mortgage origination and mortgage servicing a total of 23 times, the most of any mortgage lender.

For more information, please visit www.rocket.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rocket-moneys-rowan-rewrites-what-ai-can-do-in-personal-finance-302859522.html

SOURCE Rocket Money

Technology

Veridian Credit Union launches Money Moves to help members build financial confidence, achieve goals

Published

9 minutes ago

August 25, 2026

WATERLOO, Iowa, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Veridian Credit Union has launched Money Moves, a new financial empowerment program designed to help members build confidence, strengthen financial habits and take meaningful steps toward their financial goals.

The program combines financial education, personalized coaching and financial incentives to help participants increase savings, improve credit and reduce debt. Through one-on-one guidance and practical tools, Monday Moves helps participants create a personalized plan that works for their unique circumstances and long-term goals.

“Financial success should be within reach for everyone,” said Ana Hernandez Eveland, Veridian’s Financial Empowerment Strategist. “Money Moves is about meeting people where they are and giving them the guidance, resources and encouragement they need to move forward with confidence. Whether someone is focused on building savings, improving credit or paying down debt, we’re here to help them take the next step.”

Participants who successfully complete the program may qualify for a $250 matching incentive that can be used toward a secured credit card, starter certificate of deposit or debt repayment, helping reinforce the financial progress they make during the program.

Money Moves is free to attend, though advance registration is required. Individual sessions begin mid-September in Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and Omaha, and Oct. 1 in Des Moines. Details are available at veridiancu.org/moneymoves.

Founded in 1934, Veridian Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative dedicated to improving the financial well-being of its members. With 32 branches across Iowa, eastern Nebraska and the Twin Cities metro area, Veridian provides a full range of personal and business financial services desigened to help members build confidence and reach their goals. As a not-for-profit credit union, Veridian returns value to its members through competitive products, trusted guidance and a commitment to helping people ahcieve lasting financial success.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/veridian-credit-union-launches-money-moves-to-help-members-build-financial-confidence-achieve-goals-302859521.html

SOURCE Veridian Credit Union

Technology

Cresset Expands to Boca Raton, Welcomes $4 Billion Advisory Team

Published

9 minutes ago

August 25, 2026

Led by Michael Bober and Ed Ventrice, the team previously managed approximately $4 billion in client assets at UBS and has deep connections to the Boca Raton community

BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cresset announced today that it is expanding to Boca Raton, Fla., with the addition of a 16-person advisory team led Michael Bober, and Ed Ventrice. The team previously managed approximately $4 billion in client assets for UBS. The team also includes Michael MacDonald, William “Billy” Marino, Sarah Ponczek, and Alex Santos.

Bober and Ventrice each bring more than three decades of experience advising corporate executives, business owners, high-net-worth individuals, multigenerational families, foundations and endowments, and professional athletes. Together with their team, they specialize in comprehensive wealth management, institutional consulting, business succession planning, and addressing the complex needs of families with significant wealth.

Prior to joining Cresset, Bober and Ventrice both served as Managing Directors with UBS Financial Services. Before transitioning to wealth management, each worked as a Certified Public Accountant with a national accounting firm. Their accounting backgrounds have helped shape the team’s integrated approach to wealth management and its focus on delivering coordinated advice across every aspect of a client’s financial life.

“We are excited to join Cresset and gain access to the breadth of resources and capabilities available through its independent, client- and employee-owned model. Cresset’s family office approach closely aligns with how we have always believed wealth should be managed—with a comprehensive, long-term perspective that extends well beyond investment management,” Ventrice said.

Cresset offers a comprehensive suite of family office services designed to address the interconnected needs of individuals and families with significant wealth. Its capabilities span investment management, private markets, tax preparation and planning, estate and trust services, business succession planning, property and casualty insurance advisory, and philanthropic planning for families, foundations, and endowments. Cresset also provides access to medical and travel concierge services through its expansive network, helping clients coordinate support across their financial and personal lives.

“Joining Cresset represents an exciting next chapter for our team and our clients. Cresset has built an exceptional platform around an integrated approach to wealth management, and we look forward to offering our clients those capabilities while continuing to provide the highly personal advice and service they expect,” Bober said.

“We are also proud to continue serving the Boca Raton community we know so well and to build upon the relationships we have developed here over many years,” Ventrice added.

Cresset’s open-architecture, multi-custodial model provides clients with access to leading custodians. This flexibility, combined with Cresset’s extensive wealth management and family office capabilities, allows advisory teams to deliver highly customized solutions based on each client’s specific needs.

“We are thrilled to expand our presence in South Florida to Boca Raton. Michael, Ed, and team have deep and longstanding relationships throughout the Boca Raton community, and we are honored to welcome them to Cresset and look forward to introducing more successful families to Cresset’s comprehensive family office offerings,” said Cresset CEO Susie Cranston.

About Cresset
Cresset is a firm built by clients, for clients. As an independent, award-winning* multi-family office and private investment firm, we are reimagining the way wealth is experienced. Our purpose is to help ensure that both wealth and life are fully optimized**—integrated, intentional, and aligned with each client’s vision of success.

We provide access to the caliber of talent, ideas, and investment opportunities typically available to the largest single-family offices and institutions. Our approach is personalized, entrepreneurial, and client-first.

Proudly owned by our clients and employees, Cresset was built to endure. We are creating a 100+ year firm—one focused on delivering an exceptional experience, not only for the families we serve but for the team that serves them. Recognized by Barron’s and Forbes among the nation’s top multi-family offices,* Cresset is guided by long-term relationships, shared success, and a belief that wealth should serve a life well lived.

*Disclosures related to awards, recognitions, and rankings available here. Forbes Top RIA Firms (issued 10.2025). Based on data from April of the prior year through March of the award year. Rankings are determined by SHOOK Research using a proprietary methodology that considers qualitative and quantitative factors. Barron’s Top 100 RIA Firms (issued 09.2025). Based on data from July of the prior year through June of the award year. Rankings are determined using a proprietary methodology that considers qualitative and quantitative factors. Cresset paid a licensing fee to use the Forbes and Barron’s award logos.

**Wealth Optimized, Life Elevated refers to the firm’s philosophy and process in providing advisory and planning services and is not intended to convey a guarantee of results.

Cresset refers to Cresset Capital Management, LLC and its respective direct and indirect subsidiaries and controlled affiliates. For a full list of Cresset subsidiaries and controlled affiliates, please see cressetcapital.com/disclosures/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cresset-expands-to-boca-raton-welcomes-4-billion-advisory-team-302859530.html

SOURCE Cresset