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May 5
Google's TPU push hits Nvidia's neocloud grip

Google's effort to expand its tensor processing units (TPU) beyond its own cloud is meeting resistance from some of the AI infrastructure companies best positioned to distribute alternative chips, with executives from Nebius, Lambda, and CoreWeave saying they do not plan to adopt TPUs anytime soon, according to The Information.

Global cloud service providers have recently raised capital spending to about US$725 billion, accelerating the shift of memory resources toward AI and prompting suppliers and customers to secure long-term agreements, or LTAs, three to five years in advance.

AMD's fiscal first-quarter 2026 earnings call was not just a victory lap for another data center beat. It was a strategic argument from management: AI infrastructure is no longer only an accelerator story. It is becoming a full compute-platform story, where CPUs, GPUs, memory, software, and rack-scale systems all have to move together.

GlobalFoundries is reporting a stark divergence in its primary end-markets, as the company pivots its manufacturing focus toward high-growth sectors like automotive and data centers to counter a cooling smartphone market. While overall wafer shipments reached approximately 579,300 12-inch-equivalent units in the first quarter, the company is managing a transition in which two-thirds of its revenue now originates from markets outside smart mobile devices.
MediaTek subsidiary Airoha Technology said its first-quarter 2026 performance met expectations, driven by continued improvement in product mix and accelerating demand across its optical communications, Ethernet, and fixed broadband businesses tied to AI infrastructure expansion.
India's latest approvals could expand global display and chip sourcing as the country adds Mini/Micro LED GaN fabrication and large-scale packaging capacity. Global manufacturers and buyers may see new sourcing options as India deepens its production capabilities for displays, power devices, and automotive components.
In a recent assessment of the semiconductor landscape, GlobalFoundries emphasized the critical need for supply chain resilience amid a "fragmented geopolitical environment." The company is positioning its three-continent manufacturing presence—spanning the US, Germany, and Singapore—as a strategic solution for global customers seeking to mitigate the risks associated with concentrated production.
Power semiconductor maker Eris Technology reported consolidated revenue of NT$250 million (US$7.9 million) in April 2026, a company record and up 19% from a year earlier, executives said, as demand tied to AI robots and AI servers began moving from sampling into volume ramp-up. The company said the April result followed 16 months of operational adjustment and signaled a return to a growth track driven by new AI and edge product lines.
Winbond Electronics posted strong first-quarter 2026 results, with consolidated revenue totaling NT$38.25 billion (approx. US$1.21 billion), up 43.7% from the previous quarter and 91.3% from the same period in 2025, driven by strong market demand and an improved product mix. Net profit reached NT$10.12 billion, surging 226.9% sequentially and turning from a loss a year earlier, while earnings per share (EPS) were NT$2.25, exceeding the company's full-year 2025 results in a single quarter.
Semiconductor silicon wafer supplier GlobalWafers said during its May 5 earnings call that it is advancing its next-generation compound semiconductor strategy. In response to advanced packaging and thermal dissipation demand, the company is actively pursuing customer certification for 12-inch silicon carbide (SiC) wafers, while strong demand for gallium nitride (GaN) is driving plans to launch a second phase of capacity expansion.
Radio frequency (RF) front-end chip maker RichWave said on May 4 that Wi-Fi 7 momentum will remain very strong in the first quarter of 2026, even as rising memory and component costs squeeze profitability and cloud order visibility. The company said memory-driven price increases are affecting the broader networking industry, but the impact on its 2026 growth will be limited.
GlobalFoundries used its first-quarter 2026 earnings call to spotlight advances in silicon photonics (SiPh), co-packaged optics (CPO), and silicon-germanium (SiGe) development while reporting improved margins and steady revenue. CEO Tim Breen and CFO Sam Franklin framed the quarter as evidence of a strategic shift toward higher-value technology corridors and broader technology services.