Samsung and SK Hynix's $550B Investment, Micron Surpasses Meta, and NASA's Athena Supercomputer

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In this edition of Silicon Brief, we delve into the latest advancements in AI chips and data centers. NASA has unveiled Athena, a supercomputer developed by ASRC Federal, designed to boost AI model training and improve efficiency in scientific and engineering tasks. Meanwhile, SK Telecom is making strides in establishing Korea as a central hub for AI infrastructure in Asia with its plan to build a 15GW AI data center, aligning with the government's 'AI G3' strategy to meet the rising demand for AI computing.

In the realm of AI chips, startup Etched has achieved a $5 billion valuation, securing $1 billion in contract orders for its AI chips, thanks to successful manufacturing by TSMC. Additionally, VoltServer and Eaton have formed a strategic partnership to develop AI-driven power distribution systems, with Eaton making a strategic investment in VoltServer. On the production front, Longsys has reached a milestone with a stable monthly production capacity of one million mSSD units at its Suzhou facility, catering to the growing demand for edge AI storage solutions.

Firmus Technologies Partners with Nvidia for Indonesian Data Center

Australian AI startup Firmus Technologies is collaborating with Nvidia Corp to build a 360 megawatt AI Factory campus in Batam, Indonesia, expected to launch in early 2027. Read more

Cloud Capital Forms $6 Billion AI Infrastructure Venture

Cloud Capital has launched a $6 billion joint venture with Realty Income and a Global Institutional Investor to enhance AI infrastructure, focusing on hyperscale data centers in the U.S. and plans for European expansion. Read more

DriveNets Launches New AI Fabric Platforms

DriveNets has introduced the DriveNets 2600SL and 2601S platforms, aimed at enhancing large-scale AI infrastructures with high capacity and efficiency. Read more

Silicom Secures First AI Inference Order

Silicom Ltd. has announced its first production order for AI inference solutions, expected to generate multi-million dollar revenues in 2026. Read more

Check Point Software Partners with AWS for Cloud Firewall

Check Point Software has partnered with AWS to launch its Cloud Firewall on the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, aimed at ensuring compliance with EU regulations. Read more

National Grid Ventures Invests $1.75 Billion in Joulent LLC

National Grid Ventures has invested $1.75 billion for a 35% stake in Joulent LLC to enhance power solutions for U.S. data centers, focusing on scalable infrastructure for AI and cloud technologies. Read more

Pilot Photonics Receives €10.4M from European Innovation Council

Dublin-based firm Pilot Photonics has secured up to €10.4 million in funding from the European Innovation Council to advance its photonic chip technology for AI data centers and communications. Read more

SK Telecom Plans 15GW AI Data Center in Korea

SK Telecom has announced its intention to build a 15GW AI data center in Korea, aiming to establish the country as a major AI infrastructure hub in Asia. This move is part of the government's 'AI G3' strategy to boost AI computing capabilities. Read more

Samsung and SK Hynix Invest $550 Billion in Semiconductor and AI

South Korean companies Samsung and SK Hynix are investing over $550 billion to build new memory fabs and AI data centers, addressing a global chip shortage and boosting South Korea's role in the AI industry. Read more

Omen AI Secures $31 Million for Data Center Monitoring

Omen AI has secured $31 million in Series A funding to advance its technology for real-time fluid monitoring in liquid-cooled data centers. The company aims to improve detection of bacterial growth in cooling fluids, addressing industry needs for efficient fluid management. Read more

ECSite.ai and VoltServer Launch AI Monitoring Solution

ECSite.ai and VoltServer have announced a strategic integration of their technologies to provide a unified monitoring solution for data centers and in-building infrastructure, aiming to enhance visibility and efficiency. Read more

Longsys Reaches One Million mSSD Units Monthly Production

Longsys has announced a stable monthly production capacity of one million mSSD units at its Suzhou facility, aiming to meet the growing demand for edge AI storage solutions. Read more

USD.AI and BSQ Capital Partners Launch $300M AI Compute Venture

USD.AI and BSQ Capital Partners have announced a joint venture to provide $300 million in GPU-backed financing for AI infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region. Read more

Meituan Releases LongCat-2.0 AI Model

Meituan has open-sourced its LongCat-2.0 AI model, trained on domestic Chinese chips, featuring 1.6 trillion parameters for coding tasks. Read more

NASA Unveils Athena Supercomputer for AI and Efficiency

NASA has introduced Athena, a supercomputer developed by ASRC Federal, to enhance AI model training and efficiency in scientific and engineering challenges. Read more

Micron Technology Surpasses Meta and Tesla in Market Valuation

Micron Technology has briefly surpassed Meta and Tesla in market valuation due to increased demand for AI-driven memory chips. The company reported significant revenue and profit growth, driven by long-term supply agreements with major tech firms. Read more

Meta to Launch Cloud Infrastructure Business

Meta is reportedly developing a cloud infrastructure business to sell access to its AI compute power and models. This initiative, named Meta Compute, aims to generate revenue from its substantial investments in AI infrastructure. Read more

DXC Technology Introduces DXC Private Cloud+

DXC Technology has launched DXC Private Cloud+, a hybrid cloud solution aimed at enhancing AI infrastructure for enterprises and governments handling sensitive workloads. Read more

Axiom Cloud Introduces AI Insights Agent

Axiom Cloud has launched the AI Insights Agent, a tool for HVAC and refrigeration data analysis using natural language. It aims to help operators quickly identify and prioritize operational issues. Read more

Dnotitia Unveils STAR-KV Technology with 20x Compression

Dnotitia Inc. has launched STAR-KV technology, achieving significant KV cache compression and faster inference. The technology, developed with UC San Diego's VVIP Lab, was highlighted as a Spotlight paper at ICML 2026. Read more

Anthropic in Talks with Samsung for Custom AI Chip

Anthropic is exploring a collaboration with Samsung to develop a custom AI chip. The company aims to address chip shortages and diversify its hardware strategy. Read more

PowerBank and Nodiac.ai Partner for Modular Data Centers

On June 29, 2026, PowerBank Corporation and Nodiac.ai announced a Joint Development Agreement to create modular data centers in North America, leveraging existing solar and battery sites to support AI-driven electricity demand. Read more

Etched Reaches $5 Billion Valuation and $1 Billion in Sales

AI chip startup Etched has achieved a $5 billion valuation and secured $1 billion in contract orders for its AI chips, following successful manufacturing by TSMC. Read more

FactSet Partners with Google Cloud for AI in Finance

FactSet has partnered with Google Cloud to develop AI solutions for the financial sector, focusing on enhancing AI capabilities and integrating Google Cloud into its infrastructure. Read more

VoltServer and Eaton Partner for AI Power Solutions

VoltServer and Eaton have announced a strategic partnership to develop AI-driven power distribution systems using Digital Electricity technology. Read more

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Samsung and SK Hynix's $550B Investment, Micron Surpasses Meta, and NASA's Athena Supercomputer - Silicon Brief #77

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