$500B STARGATE PROJECT

Tech Tank by Kulana.

Stargate: The $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Race

The global AI race has entered a new chapter with Stargate, a $500 billion mega-project spearheaded by OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle. At its core, Stargate is designed to build 10 gigawatts of data center capacity, making it one of the most ambitious digital infrastructure projects in history.

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But Stargate is more than just a U.S. play. The initiative stretches across continents, with Norway, South Korea, and the UAE already confirmed as key hubs. Each region will contribute to the creation of massive AI-ready data centers, powered by partnerships between governments, chipmakers, and cloud providers.

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The Power Players

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• OpenAI: Planning, site selection, and overseeing deployment, with an upfront $100 billion commitment.

• SoftBank: The lead equity investor, bringing financial weight and global reach.

• Oracle: Building new U.S. data centers in Texas, New Mexico, and the Midwest.

• Nvidia: Providing cutting-edge AI chips, with up to $100 billion in investment and supply commitments.

• CoreWeave: Expanding cloud compute capacity with multi-billion-dollar deals.

• Samsung & SK Hynix: Supplying memory chips and co-developing South Korean data centers.

• Arm Holdings: Supplying chip architecture, signaling a shift away from legacy x86 designs.

• G42 & Cisco: Driving the Middle East chapter, with the UAE positioned as the largest non-U.S. hub.

• Foxconn: Manufacturing data center equipment in Ohio with SoftBank.

• Nscale & Aker ASA: Leading the European rollout in Norway with a $1B facility.

Why It Matters

Stargate is not just about AI, but also a geopolitical positioning. The U.S. aims to cement its dominance in the global AI ecosystem, ensuring compute power and chip supply remain under Western influence. By expanding across allies like Norway, South Korea, and the UAE, Stargate could redefine the map of AI infrastructure.

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The Bigger Picture

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For Africa and emerging markets, the implications are massive. While not yet named in the Stargate rollout, regions with fast-growing data demand and renewable energy potential (such as Kenya, South Africa, and Morocco) could position themselves as future nodes in the global AI infrastructure race.

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Stargate shows us one thing: AI dominance will not only be decided by algorithms but also by who controls the compute power, chips, and global infrastructure.