Yesterday’s top TMT news revealed exciting developments in the semiconductor and artificial intelligence industries. ASML Holding NV, a leading supplier of lithography equipment, announced that it has secured major orders from top chipmakers Samsung Electronics Co. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) for its latest High NA EUV lithography tools. These machines can cost up to $400 million each, indicating a significant investment in the technology.

In addition, Mistral AI, a Paris-based startup, raised €3 billion ($3.5 billion) at a valuation of over €21 billion from investors led by Samsung Electronics Co. The funding will support the development of artificial intelligence models and build computing infrastructure. This round of funding nearly doubled Mistral’s valuation from its last fundraising round a year ago, demonstrating the growing demand for AI technologies.

The agreement between ASML and the four chipmakers also highlights the critical shift towards larger photomasks, with the goal of boosting productivity and reducing costs as the industry races to keep up with soaring AI demand. Photomasks are crucial components for producing semiconductors, much like carved woodblocks used to print images on silicon wafers.

Meanwhile, Intel Corp.’s CPU prices were reportedly rising 10% again, according to DigiTimes. This underscores the intense competition in the chipmaking industry and the growing demand for high-performance processors.

Overall, these developments demonstrate the rapid advancements in both semiconductor and artificial intelligence technologies. As these industries continue to evolve, we can expect to see significant investments in research and development, as well as innovative partnerships and collaborations. Stay tuned for more updates on these exciting developments!