Intel and SoftBank’s Saimemory partner to develop Z-Angle Memory, a new stacked DRAM technology aimed at boosting AI performance and easing global memory shortages.
Intel has joined forces with Saimemory, a subsidiary of Japan’s SoftBank Group, to develop a new generation of high-performance memory designed to meet the growing demands of artificial intelligence and data centers.
The collaboration centers on what the companies call the Z-Angle Memory (ZAM) program, a project aimed at creating stacked DRAM technology capable of delivering faster speeds, lower power consumption and more efficient scaling than current architectures.
Under the partnership, Intel will act as a technology and standards partner, while Tokyo-based Saimemory will lead commercialization efforts. Operations are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026, with working prototypes targeted for 2027 and commercial deployment planned for 2030.
A Response to AI’s Exploding Memory Needs
The announcement reflects a broader industry scramble to keep pace with the enormous computational requirements of AI.
Modern AI systems rely heavily on High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and advanced DRAM to process massive datasets. But global demand is rapidly outstripping supply, creating bottlenecks that threaten to slow the expansion of data centers and AI services.
“Standard memory architectures aren’t meeting AI needs,” said Dr. Joshua Fryman, Intel Fellow and chief technology officer of Intel Government Technologies. “Our Next Generation DRAM Bonding initiative has defined a whole new approach to accelerate us through the next decade.”
Fryman said Intel’s new architecture promises to boost performance while reducing power usage and overall costs—critical improvements as energy-hungry AI workloads multiply.
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Backed by U.S. Research Institutions
The project will receive support from the Advanced Memory Technology (AMT) R&D Program, which is overseen by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration. Research efforts will be coordinated through Sandia, Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos national laboratories.
Reports of a partnership between Intel and SoftBank on next-generation memory first surfaced in mid-2025. At the time, the venture was estimated to cost roughly $70 million, with SoftBank expected to contribute $21 million and additional funding anticipated from the Japanese government and private investors.
No financial details were disclosed in Monday’s announcement.
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A Market Under Strain
The timing of the collaboration underscores how severely AI growth is stressing the global memory market.
Analysts warn that many large-scale AI data center projects announced over the past year have caught suppliers off guard. Research firm TrendForce estimates that as much as 70 percent of all memory produced in 2026 will be consumed by data centers.
Major chipmakers Samsung and SK Hynix have already cautioned that shortages are likely to persist through 2027, with consumer electronics expected to bear the brunt as available capacity is redirected toward AI infrastructure.
Against that backdrop, Intel and Saimemory are betting that a new memory architecture could help relieve one of the most critical constraints on AI’s expansion.
If successful, the ZAM program could become a cornerstone technology for the next era of computing—one defined less by processors alone and more by the ability to move and store vast amounts of data at unprecedented speed.
