Nvidia has agreed to acquire US$1 billion worth of newly issued shares in South Korea’s internet technology giant Naver, marking a significant expansion of their strategic partnership to develop advanced artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The investment, announced through a regulatory filing by Naver, will support the construction of a new AI data centre in South Korea. The move reinforces Nvidia’s commitment to strengthening AI computing capacity while supporting Naver’s ambition to become a leading provider of sovereign AI infrastructure in Asia.

According to Reuters, in a report by reporter Jack Kim and edited by Chris Reese, the investment forms part of a broader collaboration between the two companies to accelerate AI development through large scale computing facilities. The newly issued shares will be acquired directly by Nvidia as part of the investment partnership announced by Naver.

The announcement also highlights the growing strategic relationship between Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang and Naver Chairman Lee Hae jin, who have been working to advance AI infrastructure capable of supporting next generation models, enterprise applications and digital services.

The investment comes amid intensifying global competition to expand AI computing capacity as governments and technology companies race to build sovereign AI ecosystems. South Korea has identified AI as a national strategic priority, with Naver playing a central role in developing domestic AI capabilities.

Industry analysts believe the partnership will enhance South Korea’s position in the global AI landscape while providing developers and businesses with greater access to advanced computing resources. The collaboration also strengthens Nvidia’s expanding presence across international AI infrastructure projects as demand for high performance computing continues to accelerate worldwide. (prnewswire.com)