SK Telecom, NTT, Chunghwa Telecom to launch $500m AI fund

SK Telecom, NTT from Japan, and Taiwan’s Chunghwa Telecom will launch a $500 million AI investment fund targeting startups in data centers, semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, and AI services. The fund, named the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network AI Fund, will be managed by Catalight Capital, a new firm operating in Silicon Valley and East Asia. Investments will focus on AI data centers—including power-efficiency solutions and liquid cooling—AI chips like accelerators and GPUs, distributed cloud systems, and AI software for healthcare, manufacturing, and finance sectors. The fund will seek opportunities in North America, Asia, and Europe, with the three telecom companies also supporting portfolio firms in testing technologies, improving services, and securing customers. The first fundraising round is expected to close soon, with SK Telecom stating the fund could launch by June if participation meets targets. Over 20 global firms, including Sony and Toshiba, have expressed interest, while SK hynix is preparing to join as an investor. NTT announced the partnership at a press conference in Tokyo, emphasizing collaboration in AI data centers, corporate AI services, and consumer AI businesses. SK Telecom noted the fund may expand further by year-end if additional investors join. The initiative aims to strengthen ties between the companies in AI-driven infrastructure and applications.