Naver is going big on AI infrastructure, and Nvidia is along for the ride. The South Korean tech conglomerate plans to more than triple the size of its data center facility through a partnership with Nvidia, adding 55 megawatts of capacity at its Gak Sejong hyperscale data center with an operational target of 2027.

The expansion is part of a broader push to build what both companies are calling AI “factories,” leveraging Nvidia’s DSX platform. Naver is backing it up with serious capital plans, seeking over 10 trillion won (roughly $6.8 billion) in external financing to fund its AI ambitions.

The infrastructure play and who’s writing the checks

Naver Cloud, the company’s cloud computing division, is leading the charge on this partnership. The collaboration with Nvidia centers on developing sovereign AI capabilities in South Korea, a concept that’s gained traction across Asia as governments and corporations look to reduce dependence on foreign cloud providers for sensitive AI workloads.

The $6.8 billion in financing Naver is pursuing includes discussions with investment firm Brookfield. That’s on top of a 400 billion won (approximately $300 million) government-backed loan from South Korea’s Financial Services Commission, which was approved in April 2026 specifically for the Gak Sejong project.

Naver isn’t just getting tech from Nvidia and calling it a day. It’s assembling a massive war chest from multiple sources, government and private, to fund what it envisions as gigawatt-scale AI operations down the road. For context, 55 megawatts is where it starts. Gigawatt-scale is roughly 18 times that.

The partnership also aligns with other AI infrastructure initiatives across the region, including collaborations with companies like SK hynix, South Korea’s memory chip giant.

The crypto connection: Naver’s $10.3B Dunamu deal

Naver agreed to acquire Dunamu, the operator of Upbit (South Korea’s dominant crypto exchange), in a $10.3 billion all-stock deal back in November 2025. That acquisition places Naver squarely at the intersection of AI infrastructure, fintech, blockchain, and crypto trading.

Upbit is consistently one of the highest-volume crypto exchanges in Asia, and Dunamu’s broader business touches digital asset custody, blockchain development, and financial services.

What this means for investors

The scale of Naver’s dual bet, $6.8 billion in AI infrastructure financing plus a $10.3 billion crypto exchange acquisition, represents one of the largest combined technology and digital asset plays by any single company in Asia.

Naver is positioning itself as the infrastructure backbone for South Korea’s AI ambitions. The Dunamu acquisition gives Naver direct exposure to crypto trading volumes, and the all-stock structure of the deal means Naver shareholders are absorbing that volatility directly.

Nvidia’s partnership with Naver mirrors similar deals it has struck with sovereign AI initiatives in other countries. The DSX platform is becoming a de facto standard for national-scale AI infrastructure.

Raising $6.8 billion in external financing means significant debt or equity dilution. The Gak Sejong expansion needs to be operational by 2027 in a market where AI infrastructure demand could shift rapidly. And integrating a crypto exchange into a traditional tech conglomerate introduces regulatory complexity that South Korean authorities are still actively defining.