SoftBank’s Saimemory joins forces with Intel on next-gen memory

SoftBank’s subsidiary, Saimemory, has formed an alliance with Intel to advance the commercialisation of Z-Angle Memory (ZAM), a next-generation memory technology.

This collaboration aims to address the growing demands for enhanced computational performance in AI and high-performance computing sectors by offering improved memory capacity and bandwidth while reducing power consumption.

The timeline set by both parties plans for operational commencement in early 2026, prototype development by fiscal year 2027, and full commercialisation by fiscal year 2029.

Saimemory, established in December 2024 and based in Tokyo, focuses on the research and development of next-generation memory solutions. This initiative is part of SoftBank’s broader strategy to enhance Japan’s global competitiveness in the semiconductor industry.

SoftBank said that Saimemory’s efforts are integral to the group’s key initiatives supporting future social infrastructure advancements. By collaborating with Intel and other international research institutions, SoftBank seeks to significantly contribute to the development of homegrown semiconductor technologies.

In this collaboration, Intel will serve as a technology, innovation, and standards collaborator, while Saimemory will provide technology innovation and lead the commercialisation of ZAM.

The ZAM technology leverages foundational work under the Advanced Memory Technology (AMT) research programme. Managed by the US Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration, the AMT initiative involves contributions from Sandia National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Intel’s participation in the AMT programme is said to have contributed critical proof points and performance validation for the stacked dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) concept, which is central to ZAM’s architecture.

Furthermore, Intel’s advancements through its Next Generation DRAM Bonding (NGDB) initiative showcased higher DRAM density and bandwidth along with reduced latency and energy consumption.

The shift from AMT to ZAM aims to strengthen U.S. and Japan technology partnerships and accelerate the deployment of research conducted in national laboratories globally.

According to Sanam Masroor, Intel’s Director of Global Strategic Partnerships, the collaboration between Saimemory and Intel aims to address existing bottlenecks in AI system scaling. By leveraging insights from the AMT and NGDB initiatives, the partnership seeks to enhance packaging capabilities essential for future technology advancements.

Intel Fellow and Intel government technologies chief technology officer Joshua Fryman said: “Intel’s Next Generation DRAM Bonding (NGDB) initiative has demonstrated a novel memory architecture and revolutionary assembly methodology that significantly increases DRAM performance, reduces power consumption, and optimises memory costs.

“Standard memory architectures aren’t meeting AI needs, so NGDB defined a whole new approach to accelerate us through the next decade.”

In August 2025, SoftBank committed to a $2bn investment in Intel, aligning with their strategy to enhance investments in advanced technology and semiconductor innovation in the US. At that time, SoftBank said that the investment reflects its long-term vision of facilitating the AI revolution by speeding up the availability of advanced technologies that underpin digital transformation, cloud computing, and next-generation infrastructure.

In late 2025, SoftBank Group closed the previously announced acquisition of Ampere Computing, a US-based semiconductor design company, for a price of around $6.5bn. Ampere Computing is engaged in designing semiconductors for high-performance, energy efficient AI computing using the ARM compute platform.

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