Volato Group, Inc. (SOAR) just had a day that most companies only dream about. The AI software company's shares more than doubled on Wednesday after it signed a definitive agreement to merge with Alignment Engine, Inc., a move that pivots Volato squarely into the AI infrastructure game.
In premarket trading, the stock jumped 93.98% to $0.30, giving Volato a market cap of roughly $8.3 million. By the time the market opened, the rally had extended further, with shares up 73.85% to $0.27 at publication time. That kind of move makes the broader market look positively sleepy by comparison: the Industrials sector was up just 1.2%, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.1%.
$500 Million Deal Targets AI Infrastructure
Here's the deal: the definitive agreement values Alignment Engine at approximately $500 million. Volato will reposition itself around AI infrastructure, high-performance computing, and data center development. SOAR will remain the publicly traded parent company, so the ticker stays the same, but the business underneath is about to look very different.
Alignment Engine operates a powered industrial campus in Ohio with 154 megawatts of power currently available and a path to 480 MW of capacity. That's a lot of juice, and it's designed to support high-performance GPU computing, AI training and inference, advanced networking, and other compute-intensive workloads. In other words, this isn't just a pivot; it's a full-on sprint into the AI arms race.
Volato's CEO Matt Liotta framed the move in pretty grand terms: "When we announced our move into AI infrastructure, we said we were looking for an opportunity capable of fundamentally changing the scale and direction of Volato." Mission accomplished, it seems.
Merger Expected To Close Shortly
The timeline is tight. Volato and Alignment Engine expect to close the merger shortly after signing the definitive agreement, subject to applicable closing conditions. Additional transaction details will be provided in filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, so keep an eye on those if you're following along.
Financially, Volato isn't coming into this empty-handed. The company held cash and cash equivalents of ~$8.4 million as of June 30, 2026. That's not a fortune, but it's a start.
Volato Expands Beyond Aviation
For those unfamiliar, Volato develops AI-powered operational software for aviation businesses. Its offerings include the Parslee autonomous-work platform and the Vaunt private aviation membership marketplace. The company also operates private aviation services, including aircraft ownership programs, charter flights, deposit products, and aircraft management.
Now, with this merger, Volato is adding AI infrastructure to that mix. It's a bold move, and the market seems to like it. The stock is still near its 52-week low of $0.10, but today's surge suggests investors see real potential in this new direction.
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