At a time when artificial intelligence systems are pushing hardware limits, a new collaboration is taking shape to address one of the sector’s biggest challenges. Saimemory, a subsidiary of SoftBank, has partnered with Intel to develop next-generation memory technology aimed at AI and high-performance computing needs.
The partnership, named the “Z-Angle Memory program” or ZAM, is designed to meet the rapidly growing demand for advanced memory solutions driven by AI workloads. Under the agreement, prototypes are expected to be ready by March 31, 2028, with full commercialisation planned for fiscal year 2029.
The announcement triggered a strong reaction in the stock market. SoftBank’s shares rose by 3.13%, while Intel’s stock jumped by 5% in overnight trading on Robinhood. The sharp rise in both stocks reflects investor confidence in the long-term impact of the collaboration on future technology development.
Founded in December 2024, Saimemory will leverage Intel’s memory technology and expertise as part of this initiative. A key part of this knowledge comes from Intel’s work under the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Memory Technology program. That effort focused on building core technologies for advanced memory systems, with Intel working to improve performance and power efficiency in next-generation Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM) used in computers and servers.
Speaking about the limitations of current systems, Dr. Joshua Fryman, Intel Fellow and CTO of Intel Government Technologies, said standard memory architectures are falling short of AI requirements. He said Intel has developed a new memory architecture and assembly approach that boosts DRAM performance while lowering power use and costs. According to him, this technology is expected to see wide adoption over the next decade, making it suitable for broader use in AI computing environments.
The partnership comes amid a sharp rise in global demand for memory used in AI applications. This surge has exceeded available supply, leading to shortages across the entire memory supply chain. The ZAM program’s focus on energy efficiency also underlines growing concerns around the massive energy consumption required to run AI systems at scale.
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