OpenAI has announced a major collaboration with Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, Oracle, and other tech giants to develop multiple data centers across the United States, aimed at advancing artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The initiative, called the Stargate Project, will kick off with a large-scale data center in Texas, with plans to expand to other states in the coming years. The joint venture aims to commit $100 billion initially, with a total investment of up to $500 billion over the next four years. The companies involved say the project will create “hundreds of thousands” of jobs and help maintain America’s leadership in AI.
“The Stargate Project is a new company focused on building advanced AI infrastructure for OpenAI in the United States,” the companies said in a joint statement. “This initiative will contribute to the re-industrialization of the U.S. and enhance national security for America and its allies.”
The announcement was made during a White House press conference on Tuesday, where President Donald Trump discussed infrastructure investment in the U.S. The event was attended by SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.
Microsoft is also a key partner in the Stargate Project, alongside Arm and Nvidia. The Middle East-based AI fund, MGX, which previously invested in OpenAI, will join SoftBank in supporting the venture. SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle are designated as the project’s initial equity investors.
“SoftBank and OpenAI are the lead partners for Stargate, with SoftBank handling financial responsibilities and OpenAI overseeing operations,” the statement continued. “Masayoshi Son will serve as chairman of Stargate. Oracle, Nvidia, and OpenAI will collaborate closely to develop and manage the computing systems central to this initiative.”
The data centers are expected to house chips designed by OpenAI. The company is reportedly building a dedicated team of chip designers and engineers, with plans to partner with semiconductor firms like Broadcom and TSMC to create a specialized AI chip, potentially arriving as soon as 2026.
SoftBank has already made significant investments in OpenAI, including a $500 million commitment to the AI startup’s latest funding round and an additional $1.5 billion to allow OpenAI employees to sell shares in a tender offer. Oracle, for its part, has an ongoing partnership with OpenAI, providing AI computing resources.
This new project follows SoftBank’s previous pledge to invest $100 billion in U.S. infrastructure over the next four years. SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son and President Trump have maintained a close working relationship since 2016 when SoftBank announced plans to invest $50 billion in U.S. startups, creating 50,000 jobs.
In a separate statement, OpenAI described the Stargate Project as a $500 billion initiative designed to secure America’s AI leadership, create jobs, and foster economic growth globally. The project, which is already underway in Texas, will see further expansion across the country as the partners finalize agreements.
The primary technology partners for Stargate include Arm, Microsoft, Nvidia, Oracle, and OpenAI, who will work together to build and operate the AI infrastructure. This builds upon long-standing collaborations between OpenAI and Nvidia, as well as newer partnerships with Oracle and Microsoft. OpenAI will continue its work with Microsoft, increasing its use of Azure to support the training of leading AI models and deliver impactful products and services.
