SAIMEMORY and Intel Partner on ZAM Next-Gen Memory Tech

Tokyo, Japan - SAIMEMORY Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Corp., said Tuesday it has entered into a collaboration agreement with Intel Corporation to commercialize a next-generation memory technology called ZAM, or Z-Angle Memory.

The agreement, signed on Feb. 2, 2026, focuses on the research and development of a memory architecture characterized by high capacity, wide bandwidth, and low power consumption.

The companies said they aim to bring the technology to market by the end of fiscal 2029.

SAIMEMORY was established by SoftBank in December 2024 to lead R&D in memory technology.

Under the agreement, SAIMEMORY will draw on technical insights from Intel’s Next Generation DRAM Bonding initiative and the Advanced Memory Technology program, a research effort backed by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The company's aim is to deliver a working prototype by fiscal 2027.

The technology is designed to improve data processing performance and cut power consumption in data centers, particularly those used for large-scale artificial intelligence model training and inference, the company said.

SoftBank described the development as a core part of its strategy to build next-generation social infrastructure.

The company said it will continue to seek partnerships with domestic and international partners to strengthen its position in the semiconductor industry.