Meta Invests $1B in Tulsa AI Center, Google Unveils TPU 8t & 8i, and Oracle & OpenAI Secure $16B

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In this edition of Silicon Brief, we're diving into the dynamic world of AI chips and data centers, where significant developments are shaping the future of technology infrastructure. Google Cloud has launched its latest AI chips, the TPU 8t and TPU 8i, promising enhanced performance for training and inference tasks. Meanwhile, Meta is making strategic moves with a $1 billion investment in a new AI data center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a deal with Amazon to utilize AWS Graviton AI CPUs, signaling a shift in its cloud service strategy.

On the data center front, DataBank has secured $2 billion to build three new facilities in Texas, while Core Scientific plans a $3.3 billion bond sale to transition from cryptocurrency mining to AI data center operations. Additionally, Denham Capital and First American Nuclear are partnering to develop power solutions for AI data centers, addressing the growing energy demands in the U.S. These stories highlight the ongoing evolution and investment in AI infrastructure, underscoring the critical role of data centers in supporting the burgeoning AI economy.

Phononic Considers $1.5 Billion Sale Amid AI Cooling Demand

Phononic, a startup from North Carolina, is exploring a potential sale valued at around $1.5 billion due to increased demand for AI data center cooling solutions. The company is working with Lazard to assess its options, including the possibility of raising more capital. Read more

Schneider Electric on AI's Role in U.S. Electricity Demand

At the 2026 BloombergNEF Summit, Schneider Electric discussed how AI could significantly contribute to U.S. electricity demand growth, potentially accounting for up to 50% of the increase between 2025 and 2030. Read more

Bradley County Bans Data Centers with New Zoning Rules

The Bradley County Commission in Cleveland, Tennessee, has approved zoning regulations that restrict data center locations, effectively banning their construction. This decision was influenced by community concerns over a rumored AI data center near a local high school. Read more

EQT Launches AI Infrastructure Strategy

EQT has unveiled its AI Infrastructure strategy to develop the necessary physical infrastructure for the AI economy. The initiative, supported by EdgeConneX, aims to meet the growing demand for data centers and energy infrastructure. Read more

Denham Capital and First American Nuclear Partner for AI Data Center Power Solutions

Denham Capital and First American Nuclear have announced a partnership to develop power solutions for AI and hyperscale data centers, addressing the growing energy demands in the U.S. Read more

SiMa.ai Wins Best Edge AI Board Award

SiMa.ai received the 'Best Edge AI Board' award for its Modalix System-on-Module at the 2026 Product of the Year Awards, recognized for its innovation in efficient AI solutions. Read more

Natixis Leads $2.6 Billion Financing for Switch

Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking has closed a $2.6 billion financing deal to support Switch's data center expansion, focusing on sustainable power for digital infrastructure. Read more

Hyperscale Data Expands Michigan AI and Robotics Operations

Hyperscale Data Inc. is expanding its Michigan operations into an AI data center and robotics hub, planning to hire over 500 employees and increase power capacity. Read more

Google Acquires Project Maize Data Center in Indiana

Google has purchased the Project Maize data center campus in Michigan City, Indiana, with plans to invest $832 million in its development. The project is expected to bring economic benefits and job opportunities to the area. Read more

Neurophos Expands Workforce After $110M Funding

Neurophos has significantly increased its workforce and leadership team following a $110 million Series A funding round. The company is also expanding its operations with new sites in California and Texas. Read more

Anthropic Plans Data Center Expansion in Europe and Australia

Anthropic is planning to lease data centers in Europe and Australia, marking a shift from relying on cloud providers. The company is expanding its internal data center team to manage this development. Read more

DataBank Secures $2 Billion for Texas AI Data Centers

DataBank has obtained $2 billion in financing to construct three data center buildings in Red Oak, Texas, aiming to support the rising demand for AI computing facilities. Read more

Core Scientific Plans $3.3 Billion Bond Sale for AI Data Centers

Core Scientific is aiming to raise $3.3 billion through a bond sale to transition from cryptocurrency mining to AI data center operations. The funds will also help repay existing debts. Read more

ASM International Sees Sales Boost from AI Demand

ASM International reported a 16% rise in sales for the first quarter, attributed to increased investments by chip makers in semiconductor tools to support AI demand. Read more

Meta Invests $1 Billion in Tulsa AI Data Center

Meta has announced a $1 billion investment in a new data center called 'Project Anthem' in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The center will support AI workloads and is set to create numerous jobs while using 100% clean energy. Read more

Google Cloud Unveils TPU 8t and TPU 8i AI Chips

Google Cloud has launched its eighth generation AI chips, TPU 8t for training and TPU 8i for inference, claiming significant improvements in speed and cost efficiency. Despite this, Google Cloud will still incorporate Nvidia systems in its infrastructure. Read more

Lam Research Reports Record Q1 2026 Revenue

Lam Research Corporation announced a record revenue of $5.84 billion for Q1 2026, driven by strong AI demand in the semiconductor industry. Read more

SK hynix Q1 2026 Financial Results Released

SK hynix has published its financial performance for the first quarter of 2026, providing insights into its financial health and metrics for this period. Read more

ECSite and VIAVI Solutions Collaborate on Fiber Testing Automation

ECSite and VIAVI Solutions have partnered to integrate their technologies, aiming to enhance automation in fiber testing for AI data centers. The collaboration seeks to significantly reduce error rates and improve labor efficiency. Read more

Arasan Releases UFS 5.0 Host Controller IP

Arasan has introduced its UFS 5.0 Host Controller IP, designed to enhance performance in AI edge devices with a data rate of 46,694 Gbps. This technology is targeted at high-performance mobile applications and is currently in use for compliance and production trials. Read more

Google Invests $500 Million in Dominican Republic Data Center

Google's significant investment in a digital exchange hub in the Dominican Republic is contributing to the growth of Latin America's data center market, which is expected to surpass USD 6.93 billion by 2031. Read more

Kaishun Digital Partners with IBM for HPC Memory Optimization

Kaishun Digital Technology has partnered with IBM to enhance memory resource optimization for high-performance computing using the IBM Spectrum LSF platform. This collaboration aims to reduce costs and improve efficiency for businesses facing rising hardware prices. Read more

Skymizer Launches HTX301 Chip for AI Inference

On April 23, 2026, Skymizer Taiwan Inc. announced the HTX301 chip, which allows enterprises to run large AI models on a single PCIe card, reducing the need for extensive GPU clusters. Read more

BT and Nscale to Build AI Data Centres in UK with NVIDIA

BT and Nscale have announced a collaboration to establish AI data centres in the UK using NVIDIA infrastructure. This project aims to enhance the UK's AI capabilities by providing secure and scalable AI services, ensuring data residency and compliance. Read more

Meta Partners with Amazon for AI Chips

Meta has entered into a deal with Amazon to use millions of AWS Graviton chips for its AI operations, indicating a shift in its cloud service strategy. Read more

Luxshare-ICT Expands Role in AI Data Centers

Luxshare-ICT is enhancing its AI data center infrastructure capabilities, focusing on system-level solutions to meet demands for higher computing density and improved power management. Read more

Applied Digital Secures $7.5 Billion Lease with US Hyperscaler

Applied Digital has signed a 15-year lease agreement valued at $7.5 billion with an unnamed U.S. hyperscaler for 300MW at its Delta Forge 1 data center. This deal enhances Applied Digital's standing in the AI data center sector. Read more

Aramark Launches Nexus Platform for AI Data Centers

Aramark has introduced the Nexus™ platform to offer hospitality and workforce support for hyperscale AI data centers, securing a multi-year deal with a global hyperscaler. Read more

Marubeni to Launch AI Data Center Service with Energy Reduction

Marubeni plans to introduce a service in April 2026 targeting an 80% reduction in power use for AI data centers, in collaboration with a Spanish startup. Read more

MediaTek Develops Custom ASICs for AI in Data Centers

MediaTek is focusing on custom ASIC designs to improve AI workload efficiency in data centers. These designs combine CPUs, GPUs, and specialized accelerators for scalable AI applications. Read more

SoftBank to Produce Batteries for AI Data Centers

SoftBank Corp. plans to convert part of its Osaka factory to produce large-scale batteries for its AI data centers, aiming to create one of Japan's largest battery plants. Read more

Naver Secures $270 Million Loan for AI Data Center

Naver has received a $270 million loan from the South Korean government to develop an AI data center in Sejong, aiming to enhance its AI infrastructure. Read more

Nano Labs and ALT5 Sigma Sign MOU for AI Collaboration

On April 24, 2026, Nano Labs and ALT5 Sigma Corporation announced a Memorandum of Understanding to explore collaboration on AI data centers and payment systems in North America. Read more

Refroid Technologies Named Emerging Leader in Liquid Cooling

Refroid Technologies has been recognized by MarketsandMarkets as an Emerging Leader in the Data Center Liquid Cooling market, highlighting their innovative solutions for energy efficiency and high-density environments. Read more

Ypsilanti Halts Water Services for AI Data Centers

The Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority has approved a 12-month moratorium on water services for data centers, addressing concerns over a proposed facility's water usage. Read more

BRE Forms Coalition for AI Data Centre Sustainability

The BRE has joined forces with nine global organizations to create the Greening AI Data Centres Coalition, aiming to set sustainability standards for AI data centres and address their environmental impact. Read more

Equinix Opens AI Discovery Hub in Hong Kong

Equinix has announced the launch of the AI Discovery Hub in Hong Kong, in collaboration with HPE and NVIDIA. The hub aims to accelerate AI innovation by providing an open AI testing environment for enterprises. Read more

M31 and TSMC Complete Tapeout of eUSB2V2 on N2P Process

M31 Technology has successfully completed the tapeout of its eUSB2V2 interface IP using TSMC's N2P process, as announced at the TSMC 2026 North America Technology Symposium. This achievement highlights advancements in interface IP for AI, HPC, and mobile applications. Read more

AMI Validates Firmware for Arm AGI Platforms

On April 21, 2026, AMI announced the validation of its Aptio V and MegaRAC OneTree firmware for Arm AGI CPU platforms, enhancing AI infrastructure deployment. Read more

Maine Governor Vetoes Data Center Moratorium Bill

Maine Governor Janet Mills has vetoed a bill that sought to halt new data center projects until 2027, citing the lack of an exemption for a supported local project. Read more

Digi Power X Signs $19.6M AI Data Center Deal with SubQ AI

Digi Power X has entered into a $19.6 million agreement with SubQ AI for GPU capacity at its AI data center, marking its first AI revenue contract and the launch of NeoCloudz GPU-as-a-Service. Read more

Hut 8 Corp. Plans $3 Billion Bond Sale for AI Data Center

Hut 8 Corp. is set to sell over $3 billion in high-grade bonds to fund a 245-megawatt data center in Louisiana, supported by Google. The center will operate under a 15-year lease with Fluidstack Ltd., valued at $7 billion. Read more

Q.ANT Opens U.S. Headquarters in Austin

German startup Q.ANT has opened its U.S. headquarters in Austin, Texas, and appointed Bruno Spruth as CTO to promote its photonic computing solutions in North America. Read more

FPT and GS Engineering & Construction Partner for AI Data Centers in Vietnam

FPT and GS Engineering & Construction have signed an agreement to develop AI-ready data centers and smart cities in Vietnam, focusing on scalability and energy efficiency. Read more

Keppel Ltd. Starts Floating Data Centre Construction in Singapore

Keppel Ltd. has initiated the construction of a Floating Data Centre in Singapore, which will be part of its AI-ready hyperscale data centre campus at Genting Lane. Read more

VOLT and DIEZ to Build AI Factory in Dubai

VOLT UAE has partnered with the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority to build an AI factory at Dubai Silicon Oasis, aiming to boost the city's digital and AI infrastructure. Read more

Oracle and OpenAI Secure $16 Billion for Michigan Data Center

The construction cost for the Oracle and OpenAI data center in Saline Township, Michigan, has increased to $16 billion. Despite local opposition, financing has been secured, and construction is underway. Read more

IMA Financial Group Completes $4 Billion Insurance Deal

On April 22, 2026, IMA Financial Group announced the completion of a $4 billion property insurance program for a publicly traded AI and high-performance computing data center company. Read more

Marvell Acquires Polariton Technologies for AI Infrastructure

Marvell has acquired Polariton Technologies to enhance optical performance scaling in AI infrastructure. This acquisition aims to integrate Polariton's technology with Marvell's capabilities, marking their second acquisition in 2026. Read more

Wärtsilä Secures 790 MW Order for Texas Data Center

The technology group Wärtsilä has been contracted to supply a 790 MW off-grid energy solution for a new data center in Texas, utilizing natural gas engines to meet AI power demands. Read more

Orbital Chenguang Secures $8.4 Billion for Space Data Center

Beijing Orbital Twilight Technology Co., Ltd. has obtained $8.4 billion in credit lines from 12 financial institutions to develop a space-based data center by 2035, as part of China's initiative to enhance computing infrastructure. Read more

NEO Semiconductor's 3D X-DRAM Proof-of-Concept and Investment

NEO Semiconductor has demonstrated a proof-of-concept for its 3D X-DRAM technology, achieving performance benchmarks and validating manufacturability. The company also received a strategic investment led by Stan Shih to support further development. Read more

Munters Secures BSEK 2.0 Order for AI Cooling Solution

Munters has announced a significant order from a US colocation data center provider, valued at approximately BSEK 2.0, for modular AI cooling solutions. Deliveries are set to start in early 2027, supporting the increasing demand for AI infrastructure. Read more

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Meta Invests $1B in Tulsa AI Center, Google Unveils TPU 8t & 8i, and Oracle & OpenAI Secure $16B - Silicon Brief #67

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