AI Investments Surge: $28.5B in Processors, $12B from DAMAC, and More - Silicon Brief #53
January 26, 2026 -
Silicon Brief
Hi there,
Welcome to this edition of Silicon Brief, where we delve into the latest developments in AI chips and data centers. This week, PowerHouse Data Centers is making headlines with its expansion in Virginia, securing a long-term hyperscale lease to bolster AI and cloud infrastructure. Meanwhile, Micron Technology is set to acquire Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing's P5 plant in Taiwan for $1.8 billion, aiming to enhance its DRAM production capabilities.
In other news, Envision has launched Dubhe, an AI-driven model to optimize renewable energy systems, and Jon Peddie Research reports a $28.5 billion investment surge in the AI processor market. Additionally, Syntys has acquired Q Data QFZ LLC to expand its AI infrastructure in Qatar, and BOS Semiconductors is collaborating with Ceva to enhance autonomous driving systems. Stay tuned as we explore these stories and more in the world of AI technology.
Welcome to this edition of Silicon Brief, where we delve into the latest developments in AI chips and data centers. This week, PowerHouse Data Centers is making headlines with its expansion in Virginia, securing a long-term hyperscale lease to bolster AI and cloud infrastructure. Meanwhile, Micron Technology is set to acquire Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing's P5 plant in Taiwan for $1.8 billion, aiming to enhance its DRAM production capabilities.
In other news, Envision has launched Dubhe, an AI-driven model to optimize renewable energy systems, and Jon Peddie Research reports a $28.5 billion investment surge in the AI processor market. Additionally, Syntys has acquired Q Data QFZ LLC to expand its AI infrastructure in Qatar, and BOS Semiconductors is collaborating with Ceva to enhance autonomous driving systems. Stay tuned as we explore these stories and more in the world of AI technology.
PowerHouse Data Centers Expands AI Infrastructure in Virginia
On January 15, 2026, PowerHouse Data Centers announced a long-term hyperscale lease at its PowerHouse Arcola campus in Loudoun County, Virginia, marking a significant expansion in the region. Read more
Micron to Acquire Powerchip's P5 Plant for $1.8 Billion
Micron Technology plans to acquire Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing's P5 fabrication plant in Taiwan for $1.8 billion, aiming to boost DRAM production by 2027. The deal awaits regulatory approval and is expected to close by mid-2026. Read more
Envision Unveils Dubhe for AI-Driven Renewable Energy
On January 15, 2026, Envision introduced Dubhe, an Energy Foundation Model designed to optimize renewable energy systems using AI, during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. The launch includes a partnership with Masdar to enhance deployment. Read more
AI Processor Market Sees $28.5 Billion Investment
A report by Jon Peddie Research indicates that the AI processor market has seen over $28.5 billion in investments, involving 120 startups, 17 IPOs, and 21 acquisitions. Read more
Syntys Acquires Q Data QFZ LLC to Boost AI in Qatar
Syntys has acquired Q Data QFZ LLC to enhance its AI infrastructure in Qatar, adding two Tier III-certified data center facilities to its portfolio. This move aims to support the growing demand for cloud and AI services in the Gulf region. Read more
BOS Semiconductors Partners with Ceva for ADAS Chip
BOS Semiconductors has licensed Ceva's SensPro AI DSP for its Eagle-A ADAS System-on-Chip, aiming to improve real-time perception and sensor fusion in autonomous driving systems. Read more
Celadon Partners Raises $200M for AI Data Center Fund
Celadon Partners has secured an initial close of USD 200 million for its debut fund targeting the AI data center value chain. The fund aims to address supply chain challenges by investing in mid-market suppliers. Read more
Anthropic CEO Criticizes US Chip Export Policy
At the World Economic Forum, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei expressed concerns over the US approval of Nvidia's H200 chip sales to China, citing national security risks. Read more
DEWALT Unveils Downward Drilling Robot for Data Centers
DEWALT, in partnership with August Robotics, has launched a new robot for data center construction, capable of drilling significantly faster than traditional methods. Read more
CG Power Wins Rs 900 Crore Order for US Data Center Project
CG Power has secured a significant order worth Rs 900 crore from Tallgrass Integrated Logistics Solutions LLC for power transformers. This marks the company's entry into the global data center market with a project in the United States. Read more
Ethernovia Raises $90M for AI Networking Chips
Ethernovia has secured over $90 million in Series B funding to develop Ethernet-based networking chips for AI and autonomous systems. The funding will help scale production of their next-generation packet processors. Read more
FuriosaAI Seeks $500 Million Funding Before IPO
AI chip designer FuriosaAI is aiming to raise up to $500 million in a funding round to support its chip production and global expansion ahead of a planned IPO. Read more
OpenAI Invests in Energy Upgrades for Data Centers
OpenAI is investing in energy infrastructure upgrades for its Stargate data centers in Texas, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The initiative aims to prevent local electricity price hikes and includes partnerships with local utilities for new energy solutions. Read more
Huiyuan Cowins Unveils Cooling Tech for AI Data Centers
Huiyuan Cowins Technology Group Limited has introduced a phase-change material technology aimed at reducing cooling costs in AI data centers. The Huailai Project collaborates with Environmental Process Systems Limited and Tsinghua University to utilize waste heat for clean heating, promoting energy conservation in northern China. Read more
Google Cloud Opens New Region in Bangkok
Google Cloud has launched a new cloud region in Bangkok, Thailand, as part of a USD $1 billion investment to enhance digital infrastructure and AI capabilities in the country. Read more
Tesla Revives Dojo3 for Space AI Compute
Tesla is restarting its Dojo3 project to focus on space-based AI computing, as announced by Elon Musk. The project aims to develop in-house chips for advanced AI applications in space. Read more
Aware Super Invests $460 Million in Vantage Data Centers
Australian superannuation fund Aware Super is investing $460 million in Vantage Data Centers to expand AI infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region. Read more
Robo.ai Partners with The Ghazi Group for AI Infrastructure
On January 23, 2026, Robo.ai Inc. announced a partnership with The Ghazi Group to distribute AI infrastructure solutions in the MENA region and Southeast Asia, aiming to meet growing demand and generate significant revenue. Read more
Quadric Shifts Focus to On-Device AI, Sees Revenue Growth
Quadric, a chip-IP startup, reports a significant revenue increase as it transitions from cloud AI to on-device inference. The company has raised $30 million in a Series C funding round and aims for $35 million in revenue this year. Read more
Lightning AI and Voltage Park Merge in $2.5 Billion Deal
Lightning AI has merged with Voltage Park to create a unified AI cloud platform, combining AI software and GPU infrastructure to streamline AI development for over 400,000 users. Read more
Neurophos Secures $110 Million for AI Optical Processors
Austin-based startup Neurophos has raised $110 million in a Series A funding round to develop optical processors aimed at enhancing AI inferencing tasks. Read more
HUMAIN and Infra Sign $1.2 Billion AI Framework in Saudi Arabia
At the World Economic Forum 2026, HUMAIN and Infra announced a $1.2 billion agreement to boost AI and digital infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including a significant expansion of data center capacity. Read more
Applied Digital Begins Construction on AI Campus
Applied Digital has started construction on Delta Forge 1, an AI Factory campus in the southern U.S. with a planned capacity of 430 MW. The project is expected to create over 200 jobs and begin operations in mid-2027. Read more
Nokia and Hypertec Group Enhance AI Research at University of Waterloo
Nokia and Hypertec Group have partnered to integrate the Nibi supercomputer into SHARCNET at the University of Waterloo, supporting over 4,000 researchers in various fields including AI. Read more
Intel Faces Challenges with AI Data Center Demand
On January 22, 2026, Intel announced difficulties in meeting the demand for its server chips used in AI data centers, resulting in a 13% drop in shares after a lower revenue forecast. Read more
Corvex Partners with AI Battery Tech Provider for NVIDIA H200 GPU Deployment
Corvex, Inc. has entered a long-term lease agreement for NVIDIA H200 GPUs with an AI-driven battery technology provider to support AI development and research. Read more
Airedale by Modine Launches TurboChill™ 3+MW Hybrid Chiller
On January 22, 2026, Airedale by Modine introduced the TurboChill™ 3+MW, a hybrid chiller designed for AI data centers, featuring advanced free-cooling capabilities for high-density workloads. Read more
Middle East Data Center Market to Hit $7.7 Billion by 2030
The Middle East Data Center Colocation Market is projected to grow significantly, driven by AI adoption and infrastructure investments, reaching $7.7 billion by 2030. Read more
GreenMet to Build AI Data Center in Greenland
A project led by a former U.S. official plans to establish a large data center in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, with an initial capacity of 300 MW by 2027, expanding to 1.5 GW by 2028. The project is pending planning permission and has partial funding. Read more
Digital Halo Secures $46.9M for Manila AI Data Center Expansion
Digital Halo, a Singapore-based data center operator, has obtained US$46.9 million in financing from Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation to expand its AI-ready data center in the Philippines. Read more
SEMIFIVE and SAPIEN Partner on Micro-Display Technology
On January 26, 2026, SEMIFIVE and SAPIEN Semiconductors announced a strategic partnership to develop CMOS backplane technology for micro-displays, targeting AI smart glasses and micro-displays market demands. Read more
Trump Supports $14.5 Billion AI Data Center in Alabama
Former President Trump is backing a $14.5 billion AI data center in Bessemer, Alabama, facing opposition due to environmental and economic concerns. Read more
UPC Volt and Telangana Government Sign MoU for AI Data Centre
UPC Volt, a joint venture between UPC Renewables Group and VOLT Data Centers, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Telangana government to invest ₹5000 crore in a 100 MW AI-ready data centre in Bharat Future City. Read more
DAMAC Invests $12 Billion in U.S. AI Data Centers
DAMAC, a Dubai-based real estate developer, has announced a $12 billion investment in U.S. land and power capacity for AI data centers. This move is part of their $20 billion expansion plan in America, with sites acquired in Ohio and New Jersey and future plans for Texas. Read more
AheadComputing Secures $30 Million for RISC-V AI Processors
AheadComputing Inc. has raised $30 million in a Seed2 funding round to advance its CPU microarchitecture for AI data centers. The funding will aid in R&D and integrating RISC-V technology into mainstream computing. Read more
Nvidia Invests in AI Startup Baseten
Nvidia has invested in AI startup Baseten during a funding round that raised $300 million, increasing Baseten's valuation to over $5 billion. This investment highlights Nvidia's focus on enhancing AI inference capabilities. Read more
USD.AI Approves $500 Million Loan for Sharon AI
Onchain lending protocol USD.AI has approved a $500 million loan for Sharon AI, an Australian AI infrastructure provider, using tokenized GPUs as collateral. Read more
Nvidia CEO on AI-Driven Infrastructure Growth
At the World Economic Forum, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang discussed the significant infrastructure expansion driven by AI, with a projected $85 trillion investment over 15 years. Read more
Optalysys Secures £23 Million for AI Photonic Chips
Optalysys, a photonic computing company, has raised £23 million to develop energy-efficient photonic chips for cloud infrastructure and secure workloads. Read more
Snowflake Launches AI Data Cloud on AWS in UAE
On January 22, 2026, Snowflake announced the availability of its AI Data Cloud on AWS in the UAE, aiming to support local data and AI needs while meeting data residency requirements. Read more
Sovereign AI Teams Up with Accenture and Palantir for EMEA AI Data Centers
Sovereign AI has partnered with Accenture and Palantir to develop AI data centers across EMEA, aiming to support both commercial and government sectors with advanced AI infrastructure. Read more
Humain Secures $1.2 Billion for AI Expansion
Humain has secured up to $1.2 billion from Saudi Arabia's National Infrastructure Fund to expand AI infrastructure, aiming to develop 250 megawatts of AI data center capacity. Read more
Gulf Edge and Google Cloud Partner for AI in Thailand
Gulf Edge Company Limited has teamed up with Google Cloud to deliver AI infrastructure services in Thailand, aiming to boost digital capabilities in multiple sectors and create a Center of Excellence for AI and data analytics. Read more
NTT Data and Tokyo Century Expand Chicago Data Center
The expansion of the Chicago data center by NTT Data and Tokyo Century involves a $340 million investment from Japan's government-backed fund, JICT, to address the growing demand for data capacity due to AI advancements. Read more
KDDI Opens AI Data Center in Osaka with Nvidia Tech
Japanese telecom company KDDI has launched a new AI data center in Osaka, utilizing Nvidia technology to enhance AI computing for the pharmaceutical industry. Read more
Society Pass Invests $8.8 Million in Sapience AI
The investment by Society Pass Incorporated aims to enhance AI data center capabilities in Europe through a partnership with Sapience AI, focusing on GPU-as-a-Service and leveraging Nvidia hardware. Read more
Vertiv Introduces AI-Powered Predictive Maintenance Service
Vertiv has launched Vertiv™ Next Predict, a new AI-driven service aimed at improving data center maintenance by predicting potential issues before they occur. Read more
Samsung to Begin HBM4 Chip Production for Nvidia
Samsung Electronics is set to start producing its sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory chips, HBM4, next month to supply to Nvidia. This initiative is part of Samsung's strategy to compete with SK Hynix in the advanced memory chip market. Read more
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