Nvidia has announced a $1 billion investment in South Korean technology giant Naver, strengthening its commitment to global artificial intelligence infrastructure and accelerating South Korea’s ambitions to become a leading AI powerhouse. The strategic investment will help finance the expansion of Naver’s AI data center project while deepening collaboration between the two companies on sovereign AI and next-generation computing infrastructure. The move marks another major milestone in Nvidia’s aggressive global AI investment strategy as demand for high-performance AI computing continues to surge.
Nvidia and Naver Deepen AI Infrastructure Partnership
Under the agreement, Nvidia will purchase approximately 7.2 million newly issued Naver shares, giving the AI chipmaker a 4.5% ownership stake in South Korea‘s leading internet and cloud services company. The investment will support the expansion of Naver’s GAK Sejong AI data center from its current 55 megawatt capacity to 200 megawatts by 2028, creating one of Asia’s largest AI infrastructure hubs.
The broader project is expected to attract nearly $10 billion in funding, with global investment firm Brookfield discussing an additional investment of up to $9 billion. Together, Nvidia, Naver and Brookfield aim to build large-scale sovereign AI infrastructure capable of serving enterprises, startups and governments across South Korea and international markets. Nvidia will supply its advanced Blackwell and Vera Rubin AI platforms, enabling faster AI model training and high-performance cloud computing services.
South Korea Strengthens Its AI Leadership
The partnership reflects South Korea’s growing focus on sovereign AI, allowing nations to build and operate artificial intelligence systems using domestic infrastructure and trusted technology partners. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has repeatedly emphasized the importance of sovereign AI as countries race to secure independent AI capabilities while reducing reliance on foreign cloud infrastructure.
Naver has emerged as one of Asia’s strongest AI innovators through investments in cloud computing, large language models and enterprise AI services. The expanded AI data center will significantly increase computing capacity for Korean developers, research institutions and businesses while supporting the country’s broader digital transformation goals. The announcement also triggered a sharp rise in Naver’s share price as investors welcomed Nvidia’s strategic commitment and the long-term growth potential of the project.
Global AI Competition Intensifie
sThe investment highlights Nvidia’s expanding influence beyond semiconductor manufacturing as the company increasingly finances AI infrastructure projects around the world. Rather than simply supplying AI chips, Nvidia is positioning itself as a strategic partner in building national AI ecosystems capable of supporting future economic growth and technological innovation.
Industry analysts believe the Naver partnership could strengthen South Korea’s position in the rapidly evolving AI landscape while creating new opportunities for AI startups, cloud providers and enterprise customers. As governments and technology companies continue investing billions of dollars in AI infrastructure, collaborations between leading chipmakers and regional technology champions are expected to play a central role in shaping the next generation of artificial intelligence development.