The United States chip manufacturer Nvidia, led by Jensen Huang, is currently in intensive negotiations for an investment in SB Energy, a subsidiary of the SoftBank Group, which is developing a large data center project in Ohio for OpenAI. According to a source from The Information, Nvidia is considering investing about $ 3 million in SB Energy, and the investment structure would be divided into two parts: the first half - after the project is signed, the second - during SB Energy's planned IPO, which could take place as early as next month and should raise about $ 5 million. (Livemint, 2026-08-16).
SB Energy, founded in 2019, specializes in building large-scale energy and data center infrastructure to meet the needs of rapidly growing artificial intelligence (AI) workloads. The company is already working with OpenAI and is currently focused on building a 10GW data center in Ohio, a project that, if completed, would be one of the largest AI data centers ever announced (Livemint, 2026-08-16).
Investment structure and financial commitment
Livemint reports that Nvidia plans to invest half of the $3 million after the Ohio project is officially approved, with the remainder coming through SB Energy’s planned IPO. The IPO, which could be held as early as next month, is expected to raise around $5 million, and Nvidia’s participation could provide additional credibility to investors.
In addition to the direct investment, Nvidia is also considering providing up to $100 million in credit support for the construction of the SB Energy data center campus. This credit support should help reduce the level of debt costs, giving lenders greater confidence that the project has a stable financial basis (Livemint, 2026‑08‑16).
Review of previous financial commitments
In previous negotiations, Nvidia was willing to guarantee up to $250 million of the project’s costs, but this figure was later reduced to less than $120 million to reduce investor concerns about the company’s risk (Livemint, 2026-08-16). This adjustment suggests that Nvidia wants to balance its balance sheet as it supports large-scale demand for AI chips.
The scope of the SB Energy and OpenAI project
SB Energy is currently developing a 10GW data center complex in Ohio, which could be the largest AI data center project announced to date. The project is part of the Stargate AI infrastructure initiative, which includes not only data centers but also extensive power generation systems designed to ensure reliable supply. According to Crypto Briefing, the first phase of the project will reach about 800 MW by 2028, and the total cost of the Stargate initiative could exceed $500 million. (Crypto Briefing, 2026-08-15).
OpenAI is currently negotiating a lease for a 10 GW data center space, with a final contract likely to be signed in the coming days. Nvidia’s financial guarantee for the first phase, which will include approximately 5 GW of capacity, will provide the project with stable seed capital and allow it to evaluate further financing.
Other related financial aspects
In addition to the direct investment in SB Energy, Nvidia is also considering possible financing for the purchase of OpenAI chips, the value of which could reach up to $350 million (Crypto Briefing, 2026-08-15). This amount shows that Nvidia sees demand not only for infrastructure, but also for the final product - AI chips - as an important component of the business.
Conclusions
Nvidia and OpenAI’s partnership with SB Energy reflects the strong interest in developing artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States. The investment of about $3 million in SB Energy, along with potential credit support of up to $100 million, shows that Nvidia wants to ensure the stability of demand for both data centers and AI chips. The reduced guarantee amount to $120 million also reflects the company’s cautious approach to risk management. If the project achieves its planned 10 GW capacity, it could become one of the most important AI data centers in the world, and Nvidia could become a major supplier for both infrastructure and chips.
Although negotiations are still ongoing, these investments and financial commitments already show that Nvidia is seeking to play not only a technical but also a financial partner role in the AI ecosystem.
Sources
- Livemint – Nvidia-OpenAI partnership: US chipmaker plans to invest $3 billion in SB Energy; what we know
- Crypto Briefing - Nvidia in talks to invest $3B in SB Energy for OpenAI data center agreement
- Biztoc.com - Nvidia has $21 billion SpaceX stake, $30 billion in Intel shares
