Two Japanese Conglomerates Acquire 40% Stake in Nvidia and FPT’s Data Center
Two leading Japanese financial and industrial conglomerates, Sumitomo Corporation and SBI Holdings, will jointly hold a 40% stake in FPT Smart Cloud Japan — the operator of the artificial intelligence (AI) data center in Japan developed through a collaboration between FPT and Nvidia.
FPT collaborates with Nvidia to build an AI Factory.
According to FPT’s announcement, Sumitomo and SBI will each own a 20% stake, aiming to accelerate the deployment of AI and cloud computing solutions in the Japanese market.
The parties expect to leverage FPT’s technological strengths combined with the global network and multi-industry experience of the two Japanese corporations to build a world-class technology ecosystem, catering to one of Asia’s most demanding and promising markets.
FPT Chairman and Founder Trương Gia Bình, SBI Holdings Representative Director, President and CEO Yoshitaka Kitao, and Sumitomo Corporation Director and Vice Chairman Toshikazu Nambu, attended the signing ceremony of the strategic cooperation agreement.
This agreement follows a memorandum of understanding signed by SBI Holdings at the end of last year, in which the group expressed its intention to acquire a 35% stake in FPT’s cloud computing business in Japan.
The latest move is part of FPT’s broader strategy to expand globally. FPT is currently building its first AI data center in Japan, with a total estimated investment of 200 million USD, after having launched a similar model in Hanoi utilizing Nvidia’s technology.
FPT aims to achieve 1 billion USD in revenue from the Japanese market by 2027, with the AI data center business expected to contribute 40 million USD in revenue this year. In parallel, the company plans to expand its data center network globally, stretching from Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia) to Europe (Germany) and the Middle East, with a total planned investment of up to 1 billion USD.
Chairman Trương Gia Bình previously noted: "The slow pace of digital transformation among some Japanese enterprises presents an opportunity for FPT to expand its market share." FPT is also considering the possibility of establishing a joint venture in the Middle East to attract investment in data center infrastructure.
FPT targets 40 million USD in revenue from AI data center operations this year and continues expanding its global data center network to meet rising demand.
At the recent Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, Chairman Trương Gia Bình revealed that FPT is eyeing potential markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Germany, with a total investment plan of around 1 billion USD for this sector.
Regarding business performance, FPT aims for 20% revenue growth and 21% pre-tax profit growth in 2025. In 2024, the group’s revenue reached 62.85 trillion VND (approximately 2.4 billion USD), up 19% compared to the previous year.
Currently, FPT has about 15,000 engineers dedicated to the Japanese market, with approximately 3,000 working directly in Japan — making it one of the largest Vietnamese IT workforces in Japan today.
Sumitomo Corporation, with a history of over 400 years, is one of Japan’s leading general trading and business investment companies, operating a strong global network of 125 offices in 64 countries and regions, with 80,000 employees worldwide. The group operates across nine sectors: Steel; Automotive; Transportation & Construction Systems; Infrastructure; Media & Digital; Living Related & Real Estate; Mineral Resources; Chemical Solutions; and Energy Innovation.
Founded in 1999, SBI Holdings is one of the pioneers in online financial services in Japan. It operates a variety of financial services, offering convenient internet-based products mainly in securities, banking, and insurance sectors. The group also engages in asset management and other global investments.
Source: VnEconomy
