SINGAPORE – Blackstone-backed AirTrunk is targeting a September or October launch for an initial public offering (IPO) of a Singapore real estate investment trust (REIT) that could raise about US$1.5 billion (S$1.9 billion), said two people with direct knowledge of the matter.The data centre operator has filed confidentially for the listing and has started meeting potential cornerstone investors, the sources said.The planned IPO will come as global investors pour money into data centres because of rising demand from cloud computing and AI companies.The timing and size of the deal could change, depending on market conditions, the sources said, declining to be named because the information is private.AirTrunk said in an e-mailed response to Reuters on July 16 that it has no comment at this time.AirTrunk runs data centres across the Asia-Pacific region, according to its website.Blackstone and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board agreed in 2024 to buy the company in a deal that valued it at more than A$24 billion (S$21.6 billion). REUTERS