SK Telecom (SKT) is partnering with Japan's NTT and Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom to establish a $500 million (approximately 760 billion won) artificial intelligence (AI) investment fund.
On June 10, SKT held a press conference at NTT's headquarters in Otemachi, Tokyo, where it announced the joint creation of the 'IWON AI Fund' aimed at investing in next-generation AI technologies. The fund will total $500 million.
Attending the press conference were SKT CEO Jeong Jae-hun, NTT CEO Akira Shimada, and Chunghwa Telecom President Lin Rong-tsu, among other key executives from the three companies.
The three firms plan to establish a fund management company called 'Catalight Capital,' which will operate from Silicon Valley and East Asia to create a global fund management framework.
The AI fund will invest in promising startups focusing on AI data center infrastructure, including power efficiency optimization and liquid cooling; AI semiconductors such as AI accelerators, graphics processing units (GPUs), and neural processing units (NPUs); AI service applications across various industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and finance; AI software for cloud distributed systems and inference optimization; and optical communications that enhance data transmission performance and power efficiency. The fund will target innovative companies in North America, Asia, and Europe.
Participating companies will support not only financial investments but also technology validation, service enhancement, and customer discovery to create new business models. The first round of investment recruitment is expected to conclude soon, with plans to officially launch the AI fund. NTT reported that around 20 global companies, including Sony and Toshiba, have expressed interest in participating. SK Hynix is also preparing to join the fund.
SKT plans to continue its economic and technological collaboration with Japan in the fields of AI data centers, business-to-business (B2B), and business-to-consumer (B2C) services, starting with this fund. This initiative extends SKT's existing strategy of strengthening investments and global cooperation in the AI sector. In August 2023, SKT invested $100 million (approximately 130 billion won) in the U.S. AI company Anthropic, acquiring about 2% of its shares.
NTT CEO Akira Shimada emphasized the importance of consolidating advanced technologies and partnerships worldwide to implement AI-native infrastructure, stating, "We will expand collaborations with promising startups to create a new industrial foundation."
Chunghwa Telecom President Lin Rong-tsu remarked, "Leveraging our expertise in the telecommunications sector, we will support cross-border business development and accelerate the commercialization of advanced technologies alongside our key partners to build the next-generation AI ecosystem."
CEO Jeong Jae-hun highlighted that SKT has not only made early investments in numerous global AI companies but has also been discovering and nurturing promising startups both domestically and internationally to build an AI ecosystem. He emphasized the commitment to expanding collaboration opportunities with innovative AI companies.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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