SAKURA Internet Invests $1.3B in NVIDIA B200 AI Chips

Japan's Sakura Internet has confirmed the acquisition of NVIDIA's next-generation B200 AI chips, valued at approximately 20 billion yen ($1.3 billion USD). This purchase is a key part of Sakura's investment in expanding Japan's artificial intelligence (AI) computing capabilities.

NVIDIA announced that it would begin shipping the B200 chips by the end of the year, as Japan actively promotes the development of AI technology within the country.

Sakura, headquartered in Osaka, plans to install the AI chips at its Hokkaido facility by March 2025. This strategic move will provide computing power to companies aiming to train advanced AI algorithms. Sakura plans to invest an additional 100 billion yen in AI computing and data centers by March 2031.

The Japanese government previously announced a 50 billion yen subsidy for Sakura, about half of the total investment. This funding will strengthen Sakura's cloud-based AI development capabilities.

NVIDIA's B200 chip is one of the most sought-after in the industry, fueled by the rise of generative AI. Sakura will be among the first Japanese companies to access the B200 chips.

Sakura, with annual sales around 20 billion yen, made headlines last year by planning to purchase 2,000 NVIDIA H100 chips, one of the most advanced GPUs for AI training at the time.

A Sakura executive stated that acquiring these high-demand chips is challenging, but negotiations progressed smoothly with the support of the Japanese government.

Japan has made efforts to establish supercomputing capabilities domestically, which is essential for the advancement of AI technology. The country currently relies heavily on American technology companies in this field.