Intel and SoftBank have partnered up for the development of a stacked DRAM (dynamic random-access memory) alternative for HBM (high-bandwidth memory).

Operating under the name Saimemory, the offering will reportedly use a different wiring structure from the current advanced HBM, with the resulting chip consuming about half as much power, per a report from Nikkei Asia.

The Register separately reported that company records show Saimemory was first incorporated in December 2024.

The chip will be based on Intel technology, with Saimemory also planning to work with Japanese academia to develop a prototype. Mass production viability is targeted for 2027, with commercialization slated for 2030, the report said.

The project is expected to cost $70 million, with SoftBank planning to invest $21m in the project. The Japanese government may also supply funding, with the Riken research institute and Shinko Electric also considering investment, the report said.

Intel brought the first commercially available DRAM chip to market in 1970; however, following decades of market dominance from South Korean and Taiwanese companies, Intel eventually sold its NAND and SSD business to SK Hynix for $9 billion in 2021.

Under the terms of the deal, SK Hynix paid $7bn in 2021, with an additional $2bn made in March 2025 to close the full takeover of the assets.

Intel retained its Intel Optane business, a technology system designed to improve storage speeds, and continued to manufacture NAND wafers at its Dalian facility, keeping all IP related to its NAND flash wafers up until the takeover was completed this year.