TDK Corp. is spending as much as $400 million to buy Fabric8Labs Inc. , a US startup that’s developed a technology that can be used to improve data-center cooling systems. The Tokyo-based supplier of batteries for Apple Inc. ’s iPhones will acquire all shares of the San Diego-based company in a cash transaction consisting of an upfront payment and earnouts spanning several years. It’s a key part o...
TDK Corp. is spending as much as $400 million to buy Fabric8Labs Inc. , a US startup that’s developed a technology that can be used to improve data-center cooling systems. The Tokyo-based supplier of batteries for Apple Inc. ’s iPhones will acquire all shares of the San Diego-based company in a cash transaction consisting of an upfront payment and earnouts spanning several years. It’s a key part of TDK’s medium-term plan for growth and of its data center initiatives, the company said on Wednesday. Established in 2015 and now numbering about 150 staff, Fabric8Labs has pioneered a 3D-metal printing technology called electrochemical additive manufacturing. The technique is seen as an efficient way to process pure copper into cold plate inserts connecting to semiconductors inside data center servers. Copper has the best balance of thermal conductivity and cost, but it’s difficult to shape into complex structures with conventional 3D printers that use ultraviolet waves or infrared lasers. TDK is looking to capitalize on roaring demand for AI infrastructure and the need for more sophisticated cooling to match ever more dense arrays of chips. Nvidia Corp. ’s upcoming Vera Rubin platform, for example, will use liquid cooling when installed in data centers. The Japanese company is ramping up spending in an attempt to expand beyond smartphone components and energy-storage systems and position itself as an AI hardware supplier like rivals Murata Manufacturing Co. and Taiyo Yuden Co. TDK’s shares are more than double what they were last year, with planned data center buildouts requiring more passive components that it and its competitors make. But its stock price lags Murata shares’ more than 300% rise and Taiyo Yuden’s more than 500% gain. The stocks of all three retreated during trading in Tokyo after hitting record highs in recent weeks. TDK is betting that its batteries and sensors will be in high demand for devices designed to run AI agents, while data centers will require...
China’s passenger car exports jumped 73% year-on-year in May to around 809,000 vehicles, an industry group reported Wednesday, as higher gasoline and diesel prices due to the war in Iran raised interest in electric vehicles. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said Wednesday that exports of pure EVs and plug-in hybrids more than doubled in May from a year earlier to about 435,000 uni...
China’s passenger car exports jumped 73% year-on-year in May to around 809,000 vehicles, an industry group reported Wednesday, as higher gasoline and diesel prices due to the war in Iran raised interest in electric vehicles. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said Wednesday that exports of pure EVs and plug-in hybrids more than doubled in May from a year earlier to about 435,000 units, or more than half. Chinese automakers such as BYD have been stepping up their overseas expansions, targeting markets including in Latin America, Asia and Europe at a time when domestic demand is coming under pressure in partly due to scaled back government incentives for drivers to switch to EVs.
Broadcom’s first quarter results for 2026 exceeded Wall Street’s expectations for both revenue and profit, yet shares fell sharply as investors digested underlying trends. Management credited surging demand for AI semiconductors as the core driver of year-on-year growth, with CEO Hock E. Tan emphasizing that “AI semiconductor revenue reached a record $10.8 billion, up 143% year on year.” Margins b...
Broadcom’s first quarter results for 2026 exceeded Wall Street’s expectations for both revenue and profit, yet shares fell sharply as investors digested underlying trends. Management credited surging demand for AI semiconductors as the core driver of year-on-year growth, with CEO Hock E. Tan emphasizing that “AI semiconductor revenue reached a record $10.8 billion, up 143% year on year.” Margins benefited from scale and operating leverage, but the company noted that product mix shifts—particular