Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and U.S. firm Micron Technology, the world’s three largest memory chipmakers, have all been named as new investors in Anthropic, the developer of the generative artificial intelligence (AI) model “Claude.” Capital generated by record-high earnings at semiconductor companies amid the expansion of AI infrastructure is again flowing into the “brain of AI.”

Anthropic announced on the 28th (local time) that it had completed a Series H funding round worth USD 65 billion (approximately KRW 97 trillion). Series H refers to the eighth large-scale funding round for a startup, beginning from Series A. The specific investment size and terms for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix were not disclosed. With this round, Anthropic’s disclosed corporate valuation reached USD 965 billion (approximately KRW 1,440 trillion), more than 2.5 times its February valuation of USD 380 billion. This figure surpasses rival OpenAI, which was valued at USD 852 billion (approximately KRW 1,282 trillion) in March this year.

● Memory “Big 3” as strategic infrastructure partners

Anthropic’s funding by the three memory companies is seen as reflecting the elevated status of memory semiconductors. Suppliers that previously produced components to order are now directly injecting capital into AI companies, their customers, and becoming deeply involved in the AI supply chain as investors. This follows the trend set when Nvidia pledged a large-scale investment in OpenAI in September last year. Anthropic described the three memory chipmakers as “strategic infrastructure partners.”

The semiconductor industry is paying attention to Anthropic’s use of the term “logic chips” (computing semiconductors) in its statement. Anthropic said, “These companies’ technologies play a key role in the supply of memory, storage, and logic chips, and as demand for Claude increases, such collaboration will help expand computing capacity in a stable manner.” The manufacturing process for logic chips is foundry. Among the three memory companies, Samsung Electronics is the only one with a foundry business. This has led to speculation that Samsung Electronics could contract-manufacture AI chips for Claude, going beyond simple memory supply.

Samsung’s foundry unit has already won orders for Tesla’s next-generation AI chips “AI5” and “AI6” and is producing Nvidia’s inference chips. If Anthropic is added as a customer, it could provide a springboard for a turnaround in a foundry business that has recorded losses for several years. According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung Electronics ranked second in the global foundry market last year with a 7% share, but the gap with market leader TSMC (72%) stands at around 65 percentage points.

● Deepening Korea–U.S. AI alliance

Analysts also say that as U.S. big tech firms and Korean semiconductor and platform companies become increasingly intertwined through capital and supply chains, the AI ecosystems of the two countries are growing closer. Meetings between big tech chief executive officers (CEOs) and the heads of major Korean conglomerates have become notably more frequent. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, for example, has strengthened ties by meeting Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (photo) in the United States in February and March this year. Chey is also reported to be meeting TSMC Chairman Mark Liu (Wei Zhejia) during his current trip to Taiwan.

CEO Huang is scheduled to meet Chey again in Taiwan during “GTC Taipei 2026,” to be held from 1 to 4 next month. After completing his GTC schedule, Huang will visit Korea on the 5th of next month to meet, in addition to Chey, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and is also said to be coordinating a meeting with Naver founder and Global Investment Officer Lee Hae-jin.

In particular, this will be the first in-person meeting between Koo and Huang, and cooperation in “physical AI,” such as autonomous driving and robotics, is expected to top the agenda. Attention is also focusing on whether the so-called “kkangbu gathering,” where Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Chairman Chung previously met Huang over fried chicken and beer, will be reenacted.

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