SoftBank subsidiary to work with Intel on next-gen memory for AI
Saimemory, a subsidiary of the multinational investment giant SoftBankSigned a cooperation agreement with the American chip manufacturer Intel Corp. The companies announced on Tuesday that they are taking this initiative to advance the commercialization of next-generation memory technology.
The partnership focuses on next-generation memory technologies that can support the growing demands of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. This effort is now known as the “Z-Angle Memory program” or ZAM.
Prototypes are expected to launch in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2028, with commercialization targeted for fiscal 2029, according to SoftBank. Press release.
SoftBank shares rose 3.13% following the announcement, while Intel shares rose 5% in overnight trading on Robinhood.
Founded in December 2024, Saimemory will leverage Intel’s memory technology and expertise, particularly initiatives undertaken under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Memory Technology program.
The program focused on the development of fundamental technologies for advanced memory. Intel’s involvement was specifically targeted at improvements in performance and power efficiency for the next generation of Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) used in computers and servers.
Intel Fellow and Intel Government Technologies CTO Dr. Joshua Fryman said in a statement: “Standard memory architectures do not meet artificial intelligence needs.”
He added that Intel has developed a new memory architecture and unification approach that improves DRAM performance while reducing power usage and costs, positioning the technology for wider adoption over the next decade.
The partnership comes at a time when demand for memory used in artificial intelligence-related applications is increasing. This demand has vastly outstripped supply, triggering shortages in the memory supply chain.
The emphasis on energy efficiency for the ZAM program also reflects growing concerns about the high energy consumption required for AI computing.
Collaboration between Intel and SoftBank on next-generation memory technology is for the first time Nikkei Asia last year. Fujitsua Japanese multinational IT equipment and services company. reportedly joined the project.
