Nvidia's $2B Bet on AI, Meta's $6B Fiber Deal, and China's Space AI Ambitions - Silicon Brief #54
February 02, 2026 -
Silicon Brief
Hi there,
In this edition of Silicon Brief, we're diving into the latest developments in AI chips and data centers. Nvidia has made a significant move by investing $2 billion in CoreWeave to expand its AI capabilities. Meanwhile, Microsoft has unveiled its new Maia 200 AI Chip, marking a notable advancement in AI hardware technology. On the data center front, the UK government is funding the expansion of an AI supercomputer at Cambridge, highlighting the growing importance of AI infrastructure.
Additionally, Meta is partnering with Corning to expand its AI data centers, and China has approved the import of Nvidia's H200 AI Chips. These developments underscore the rapid evolution and investment in AI technologies and infrastructure worldwide. Stay tuned as we explore these stories and more in this edition.
In this edition of Silicon Brief, we're diving into the latest developments in AI chips and data centers. Nvidia has made a significant move by investing $2 billion in CoreWeave to expand its AI capabilities. Meanwhile, Microsoft has unveiled its new Maia 200 AI Chip, marking a notable advancement in AI hardware technology. On the data center front, the UK government is funding the expansion of an AI supercomputer at Cambridge, highlighting the growing importance of AI infrastructure.
Additionally, Meta is partnering with Corning to expand its AI data centers, and China has approved the import of Nvidia's H200 AI Chips. These developments underscore the rapid evolution and investment in AI technologies and infrastructure worldwide. Stay tuned as we explore these stories and more in this edition.
Nvidia Invests $2 Billion in CoreWeave for AI Data Centers
Nvidia has announced a $2 billion investment in CoreWeave to enhance their partnership and expand AI data center capacity. The investment will aid in building over 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity by 2030. Read more
Tenstorrent Joins CHASSIS Program for Automotive Chiplets
Tenstorrent has joined the CHASSIS program, a three-year international initiative led by Bosch to advance automotive chiplet technology. The program aims to develop scalable chiplet platforms for software-defined vehicles, enhancing customization and reducing development costs. Read more
Ricursive Intelligence Raises $300M for AI Semiconductor Design
Ricursive Intelligence has secured $300 million in Series A funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners to advance AI-driven semiconductor design, aiming to overcome current AI development challenges. Read more
Lucend Raises $3.3 Million for AI in Data Centers
Lucend, previously known as Coolgradient, has secured $3.3 million in seed funding to develop its Transparent AI platform aimed at enhancing data center efficiency in the U.S. Read more
Micron Announces $24 Billion Chip Plant in Singapore
Micron Technology has revealed plans to construct a $24 billion memory chip manufacturing facility in Singapore, aiming to alleviate the global shortage of memory chips. The plant will produce NAND memory chips, with production slated to start in the latter half of 2028. Read more
AI Workloads Change Data Center Testing
AI workloads are driving changes in data center testing protocols, requiring advanced methods to ensure high performance and reliability. Read more
BOSGAME Unveils New AI PCs VTA-439 and VTI-490
BOSGAME has introduced two new AI PC models, the VTA-439 and VTI-490, featuring processors from AMD and Intel respectively. These models are designed to boost local AI processing and will be available globally in early 2026. Read more
Saitech Provides Liquid-Cooled AI Infrastructure to U.S. Army
Saitech has delivered a million-dollar liquid-cooled computing solution to the U.S. Army. The deployment includes high-performance Supermicro servers designed for efficient operation under intense workloads. Read more
ASML Reports Record Orders Amid AI Boom
Dutch company ASML announces record new orders totaling 13 billion euros, driven by the demand for AI-related data center infrastructure. Read more
SK hynix Launches AI Solutions Firm in U.S.
SK hynix has announced the creation of an AI solutions firm in the U.S., with a $10 billion investment to enhance its role in the AI data center ecosystem. Read more
Blaize and Nokia Partner for Edge AI in Asia Pacific
Blaize Holdings, Inc. has announced a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with Nokia Solutions and Networks Singapore Pte. Ltd. to collaborate on hybrid AI inference solutions across the Asia Pacific region. The partnership aims to enhance AI operations at the edge and in hybrid environments. Read more
Meta and Corning Sign $6 Billion Fiber-Optic Deal
Meta has partnered with Corning to invest up to $6 billion in fiber-optic cables for its AI data centers, aiming to expand infrastructure by 2030. Read more
China Approves Nvidia's H200 AI Chips Import
China has approved the import of Nvidia's H200 AI chips for major companies like ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent, marking a significant development in AI technology access. Read more
Meta Plans Major AI Investment and Data Center Expansion
Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta Platforms Inc. will significantly increase its AI spending and expand data centers in 2026, following strong earnings results and positive Wall Street response. Read more
China Plans Space-Based AI Data Centers
The Chinese government is set to establish space-based AI data centers, aiming to compete with SpaceX's initiatives and boost its AI and satellite technology capabilities. Read more
FPT Corporation Opens Vietnam's First Fully Owned Semiconductor Plant
The FPT Corporation has launched the first fully owned semiconductor testing and packaging plant in Vietnam, located in Bac Ninh Province. This development is set to boost the country's semiconductor industry and offer educational opportunities for students. Read more
Exowatt Launches 'ExoRise' for Clean Energy in Data Centers
Renewable energy developer Exowatt has introduced 'ExoRise', a new initiative to provide clean energy solutions for data centers, with backing from Sam Altman. Read more
Alibaba's Qwen-3 AI Model Launched into Orbit
The Alibaba Cloud's Qwen-3 AI model has been launched into orbit, marking a significant step in transitioning AI infrastructure from Earth to space. Read more
Bernalillo County Commission Evaluates AI Data Center Regulations
The Bernalillo County Commission is considering a resolution to impose strict requirements on new AI data center projects, addressing public concerns about their impact in New Mexico. Read more
Samsung Reports Record Profit Amid AI Demand
Samsung Electronics announced a record operating profit of 20 trillion won in Q4 2025, driven by high demand for chips during an AI boom, despite challenges in its mobile division. Read more
Mitsubishi Electric and Landis+Gyr Collaborate on AI for Grid Intelligence
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and Landis+Gyr have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together on enhancing grid edge intelligence and supporting the energy transition. The collaboration will utilize Landis+Gyr's Application Ecosystem to create edge applications aimed at improving grid operations and consumer engagement, with an initial focus on North America. Read more
Perplexity Signs $750M AI Cloud Deal with Microsoft Amid Amazon Dispute
AI startup Perplexity has entered a $750 million agreement with Microsoft to use Azure for AI model deployment, while in a legal conflict with Amazon. Read more
Fidelis and 8090 Launch AI Infrastructure Platform
Fidelis New Energy and 8090 Industries have launched American Intelligence & Power Corporation to develop AI infrastructure and power microgrids for data centers, starting with a project in West Virginia. Read more
atNorth to Build New 30MW Data Center in Stockholm
Nordic data center provider atNorth is set to construct a new 30MW data center, SWE02, in Stockholm, which will include heat reuse capabilities and is scheduled to be operational by Q4 2027. Read more
SK keyfoundry Unveils New High-Voltage Process for AI and Automotive
On January 28, 2026, SK keyfoundry introduced its latest 200V high-voltage 0.18-micron BCD process, designed to boost power semiconductor performance in the automotive and AI industries. Read more
KKR-Led Group to Acquire ST Telemedia Global Data Centres
A consortium led by KKR is nearing a deal to acquire ST Telemedia Global Data Centres for over $10 billion, highlighting the growing demand for digital infrastructure amid the AI boom. Read more
India Proposes Tax Holiday for Foreign Cloud Providers
The Indian government has announced a tax exemption until 2047 for foreign cloud providers operating from Indian data centers, aiming to attract global AI workloads and investments. Read more
DataVita and CoreWeave to Create AI Hub in Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire will host a new AI hub at DataVita's data center, aiming to attract significant investment and create numerous jobs. The project includes a community fund to support local initiatives. Read more
University of Pennsylvania Proposes Solar-Powered Orbital Data Center
Engineers from the University of Pennsylvania have proposed a solar-powered orbital data center to address the growing demand for AI computing while reducing environmental impact. Read more
Redwood Materials Raises $425 Million for AI Energy Storage
Redwood Materials has secured $425 million in a Series E funding round led by Google to enhance its energy storage capabilities for AI data centers. The company, founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, focuses on battery recycling and cathode production. Read more
ST Telemedia Launches HVDC AI Testbed in Southeast Asia
ST Telemedia Global Data Centres has launched the FutureGrid Accelerator, Southeast Asia's first HVDC-powered AI infrastructure testbed, in collaboration with LITEON. The initiative aims to validate HVDC system performance for high-performance computing, contributing to energy savings and reduced carbon emissions. Read more
SanDisk Stock Soars Due to AI Demand
SanDisk shares surged after the company announced higher-than-expected third-quarter profits and revenue, driven by increased demand for data storage in AI applications. Read more
Malaysia's Data Center Capacity to Double by 2026
Malaysia's data center capacity is set to increase significantly by the end of 2026, driven by the growing demands of artificial intelligence. The state of Johor is at the forefront of this expansion, with major projects like a 500 MW campus by YTL contributing to the country's status as a regional data center hub. Read more
Microsoft Unveils Maia 200 AI Chip
Microsoft has introduced the Maia 200 chip, aimed at enhancing AI inference with improved performance and efficiency, featuring over 100 billion transistors and delivering more than 10 petaflops in 4-bit precision. Read more
UK Government Funds AI Supercomputer Expansion at Cambridge
The UK government is allocating £36 million to significantly boost the AI supercomputing capacity at the University of Cambridge by six times by 2026, aiming to support advancements in healthcare and environmental modelling. Read more
Envirotech and AZIO AI Deliver AI Data Center Container
On January 26, 2026, Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. and AZIO AI announced the delivery and installation of a 40-foot immersion-ready AI data center container in Houston, Texas, marking a key development in their AI infrastructure program. Read more
Saline Township Blocks Referendum on AI Data Center
The Saline Township Board in Michigan has decided to maintain agricultural zoning for land intended for a $7 billion AI data center, preventing a community referendum. The project, supported by Oracle and OpenAI, will proceed under a consent judgment with community and environmental considerations. Read more
Telefónica Converts Copper Exchanges to Edge Data Centers
Telefónica is advancing its plan to transform decommissioned copper exchanges into edge nodes, with ten already in operation and more planned for 2026. This effort is part of a strategy to improve digital infrastructure and sovereignty. Read more
Agrani Labs Raises $8 Million in Seed Funding
AI semiconductor startup Agrani Labs has secured $8 million in seed funding, with Peak XV Partners leading the investment. The company plans to develop a comprehensive AI software stack to support new AI chip adoption. Read more
LG Electronics Introduces AI HVAC and Cooling Solutions
At the AHR Expo 2026, LG Electronics presented new AI-powered HVAC systems and liquid cooling solutions for data centers, focusing on efficiency and innovation. Read more
Broadcom Signs ASIC Supply Deal with OpenAI
Broadcom has entered a four-year agreement to supply OpenAI with custom AI accelerator ASICs, totaling 10 gigawatts of compute capacity. This agreement highlights Broadcom's expanding role in AI chip provision for cloud platforms. Read more
Oracle Plans $45-50 Billion Funding for AI Cloud Expansion
Oracle Corporation is planning to raise $45 to $50 billion in 2026 to expand its cloud infrastructure, aiming to meet demand from major clients like AMD, Meta, NVIDIA, OpenAI, TikTok, and xAI. Read more
DCNT Global Introduces New Data Center Design
DCNT Global has launched a new data center design to support AI and high-density workloads, emphasizing scalability, resilience, and sustainability to meet the growing demands of AI technologies. Read more
SpaceX Plans 1 Million Solar Satellites for AI Centers
SpaceX has applied to the FCC to launch 1 million solar-powered satellites to boost AI data centers. This move is part of SpaceX's strategy to merge with xAI and compete in the AI industry. Read more
Texas Instruments Stock Rises on AI Demand
Shares of Texas Instruments increased by 7% due to a positive revenue outlook for Q1 2026, driven by strong demand in AI data centers and industrial sectors. Read more
SK Hynix Reports Record Profit Due to AI Memory Demand
SK Hynix Inc. announced a significant increase in quarterly profits, driven by strong demand for AI memory. The company reported an operating profit of 19.2 trillion won, exceeding analyst expectations. Read more
Nebius to Reopen Missouri Power Plant for AI Data Center
Independence, Missouri, will see the reopening and expansion of the Blue Valley Power Plant to support a new AI data center by Nebius. The project aims to significantly boost energy output to meet the center's demands. Read more
Romania to Invest EUR 5 Billion in AI Infrastructure
Romania is set to invest EUR 5 billion in an AI Gigafactory and data centers, starting at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant. The project aims to boost AI services in the region with support from public and private sectors. Read more
Tokyo Tatemono's $652M AI Data Center in Osaka
Japanese real estate developer Tokyo Tatemono is collaborating with SC Zeus Data Centers to construct a $652 million data center in Osaka, addressing the growing demand for AI services. Read more
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