Naver’s Nvidia Investment Sparks 10% Share Surge and AI Data‑Center Expansion

South Korean internet powerhouse Naver saw its shares surge over 10% after Nvidia committed to purchase $1 billion of new stock to fund an AI data‑center expansion.

A New Milestone in Global AI Infrastructure

Announced in June, the partnership aims to build a sovereign AI network across the Asia‑Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. The move deepens the strategic synergy between the two firms and redefines the regional AI ecosystem.

Deal Terms and Share Allocation

■Naver will issue 7.2 million new shares at 204,500 won each, representing a 1 % discount to the previous close.

■The transaction grants Nvidia a 4.5 % stake in Naver.

■Major investor Brookfield will provide up to $9 billion in additional project financing.

Data‑Center Expansion: Capacity and Technology

The GAK data centre in Sejong will scale to 200 megawatts by 2028, leveraging Nvidia's Vera Rubin and Blackwell chip platforms. This capacity will support hundreds of thousands of the latest GPUs operating concurrently.

Stock Reaction and Market Outlook

Markets responded positively, driving a sharp rise in Naver shares. Analysts project that the AI infrastructure will diversify revenue streams and potentially double the company’s valuation over the medium term.

Defne Aydın – Director of Geopolitical Risk and European Markets: “This investment is more than a corporate growth story; it signals a push for AI independence across Asia‑Europe. Nvidia’s 4.5 % stake in Naver could reshape competition with US‑centric cloud giants and create a new pricing dynamic in the regional data‑center market. Within the European Central Bank’s monetary policy framework, such infrastructure investments may stimulate capital flows that ease long‑term inflation pressures.”