SoftBank(US:SOBKY) Zhi Tong Cai Jing·2025-08-08 13:18Core Insights - SoftBank has acquired Foxconn's electric vehicle factory in Ohio to kickstart its $500 billion "Stargate" data center project in collaboration with OpenAI and Oracle [1] - Foxconn's parent company, Hon Hai Precision, agreed to sell the factory for $375 million, with SoftBank being the buyer [1] - The acquisition is part of SoftBank's strategy to secure a central position in the growing AI hardware investment wave [1] Group 1 - SoftBank faced challenges in financing the "Stargate" project and sought Foxconn's involvement in building data centers and supporting infrastructure across the U.S. [1] - The factory will be operated by Hon Hai Precision, which plans to use the site for its own AI server manufacturing [1] - The Ohio site may also serve as a data center [1] Group 2 - SoftBank and Foxconn previously collaborated on the humanoid robot "Pepper" and have established a joint venture to build data centers and manufacturing projects in the U.S., each investing $735 million [2] - SoftBank is evaluating multiple potential locations for the "Stargate" flagship site, considering factors like water supply, electricity, and communication network access [2] - The company acknowledged that the "Stargate" project is taking longer to launch than expected, with ongoing negotiations with partners including Oracle and Abu Dhabi's MGX [2] Group 3 - OpenAI is advancing other "Stargate" branded data center projects, including one in Abilene, Texas, which started before the "Stargate" announcement [3] - OpenAI has also announced a collaboration with Nscale and Aker to build a project named "Stargate Norway," marking its first data center initiative in Europe [3] - Additionally, OpenAI revealed the "Stargate UAE" project just over two months ago [3]