East Asian Technology Intelligence
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This story ran in Issue #95, alongside three other stories.
Nvidia reportedly plans to invest 13 trillion won as an anchor investor in Anthropic’s IPO. This big move aims to control the future money in AI. It extends Nvidia’s hardware lead into the basic model layer. It is not just about making its business varied. It makes Nvidia a vital part of the AI supply chain from chip to API. Nvidia usually avoids direct competition with its customers. Now, this move changes Anthropic from a customer into a deeply integrated partner.
Korean outlets like AI Times see this as a way to control the global AI world. Such a big investment makes Nvidia a kingmaker. Korean media see it as Nvidia strengthening its monopoly. It is not just a simple venture investment. Western writers often see these moves as just a financial bet on a startup. Korea has giant firms like Samsung and Hyundai. These firms operate across vast, connected industrial networks. Koreans understand when a strong player takes over a whole supply chain.
This move is not about catching up. It is about locking in a lead that is already huge. It is like how Japanese firms in the 1980s bought stakes in suppliers. They did this to keep supply chains safe and gain influence. For Nvidia, this keeps Anthropic on Nvidia hardware. It may limit the growth of other chip designs. The move fights back against cloud giants who make their own custom AI chips.
This deep link could still backfire. It might upset other AI developers. They may fear Nvidia’s influence or want a neutral hardware partner. Nvidia still chose to take this risk. They believe the gains from owning a top model developer are worth the trouble. It shows they believe the basic model layer is where the long-term fight is won.
Watch Anthropic’s future compute contracts and chip choices. Any shift away from Nvidia’s H100 or Blackwell chips would be a big sign. Also look for more Nvidia investments in other key AI model firms. That would show this is a broad plan and not a one-off. Finally, watch other AI chip firms in Korea or Taiwan with strong memory factories. They may try to form their own deep ties with model developers.
This story appeared in AsiaAI.FYI Issue #95.
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