SoftBank and Intel develop low-power memory for AI data centres
A new SoftBank–Intel project targets next-gen memory as AI hardware demand surges.
SoftBank and Intel are collaborating on a new memory technology designed to halve power consumption compared to current high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which is critical for AI systems.
The project includes the University of Tokyo, research institute Riken, and Shinco Electric Industries, among others, and aims to address cost, efficiency, and supply issues in today’s HBM market.
The initiative will be led by a newly established SoftBank subsidiary, Cy Memory, which is tasked with IP management and developing prototype memory chips that reconfigure wiring structures in stacked DRAMs.
The goal is to mass-produce more energy-efficient and cost-effective memory than existing HBM, with applications in data centres running AI workloads.
SoftBank plans to invest 3 billion yen in Cy Memory, becoming its largest shareholder, and may seek government funding.
As AI data centre demand skyrockets, the new memory could offer Japan a strategic edge in semiconductor development—particularly as domestic DRAM production has largely disappeared. Japan has pledged over 10 trillion yen in semiconductor investments by 2030 to revive its chip industry.
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