Intel & TSMC Join Forces, Nvidia's $16B Chip Order, Meta's $1B Data Center - Silicon Brief #12

Hi there, In this edition of Silicon Brief, we're diving into the latest developments in AI chips and data centers. Intel and TSMC have formed a joint venture to enhance chipmaking capabilities, while Nvidia has received a significant $16 billion order from Chinese firms for its H20 chips. Meanwhile, Hon Hai has reported a 24% sales increase, attributing this growth to the rising demand for AI technology. On the data center front, IBM has launched its new Cloud Multizone Region in Montreal, and Meta is planning a $1 billion data center in Wisconsin. Additionally, Amazon's Project Rainier is making strides in the AI data center race, and Microsoft has halted data center projects in multiple regions. These developments highlight the ongoing expansion and strategic shifts within the AI and data center industries.

Preferred Computational Chemistry Inc. announced a collaboration with ENEOS Corp. on March 31, 2025, to optimize chemical formulations for data center cooling using NVIDIA ALCHEMI software. US data center developers are considering constructing facilities near natural gas wellheads to secure a reliable power supply, potentially impacting gas market dynamics. The 2025 Data Center Energy Storage Industry Insights Report by ZincFive highlights AI's influence on energy storage strategies, focusing on efficiency and sustainability. Navitas Semiconductor has partnered with Great Wall Power to develop a 2.5kW DC-DC converter for AI data centers using Navitas' GaNSense technology.

Cloudflare has introduced a new feature allowing developers to build and deploy remote Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, enhancing accessibility and security with OAuth integration. Ambarella unveiled its latest edge AI technology at ISC West, featuring the CVflow® 3.0 AI SoC portfolio for real-time processing without cloud reliance. XNRGY Climate Solutions appointed Glenn Brandon as Executive Vice President for Mission Critical, focusing on energy-efficient cooling solutions for data centers.

IBM opens a new Cloud Multizone Region in Montreal. Meta plans a $1 billion data center in Wisconsin. CMU partners with Google for AI research. Hyperscale Data installs Nvidia GPUs in Silicon Valley. Crusoe secures $225 million for AI cloud expansion. NTT acquires a data center site in Mesa for $300 million. Rebellions expands into the Japanese AI data center market. TigerDC appoints Daniel Brock as Project Manager. AMD acquires ZT Systems for $4.9 billion. Intel Gaudi 3 AI accelerators launch on IBM Cloud. Lumentum unveils R300 optical switch for AI data centers. PPC plans EUR 5 billion data centers in Greece. KT Cloud to launch AI data center in Seoul. GK Hyperscale to build data centers in Kazakhstan. InfiniLink secures $10M for AI data center connectivity. Amazon's Project Rainier competes in AI datacenter race. Microsoft halts data center projects in multiple regions. IREN shifts focus from Bitcoin to AI data centers. Fluidstack to deploy exascale GPU clusters in Europe. Keysight launches KAI architecture for AI data centers. AttoTude secures $50M for AI data center solutions. Lumai raises $10 million for AI optical computing. CyrusOne to build a second data center in Milan. Homer City redevelopment plans AI data center. Trump tariffs may affect big tech data center plans. Voltage Park acquires TensorDock.

IBM has launched a new Cloud Multizone Region in Montreal to enhance AI and data services for Canadian organizations. Meta Platforms is investing nearly $1 billion in a data center in Wisconsin to boost its AI technology. Carnegie Mellon University has partnered with Google Public Sector to enhance AI research with a new cloud-based GPU cluster.

Akamai has introduced Cloud Inference and video processing units to enhance AI capabilities and improve media transcoding efficiency. Kamiwaza CEO Luke Norris will present at Intel Vision 2025, showcasing the company's AI orchestration engine and its capabilities in data insights, security, and compliance. Gallant Micro, associated with TSMC, has announced receiving a record $30 million in orders for AI chips.