OpenAI and SpaceX Funding Surge Drives Asian AI Boom

When OpenAI closed its record $122 billion funding round on March 31, the biggest winners may have been in Seoul, Taipei, and Tokyo.

In 2025, wealthy Asians poured $24.3 billion into global AI private funding rounds-nearly triple the previous year. By April 2026, they had committed an additional $950 million.

OpenAI’s latest round valued the company at $852 billion, backed by Amazon, NVIDIA, and SoftBank. SpaceX has filed for what could become the largest IPO in history, targeting a valuation between $1.75 trillion and $2 trillion, with a listing expected around mid-June 2026.

South Korean chipmakers Samsung and SK Hynix have reportedly secured supply agreements tied to OpenAI’s Stargate project.

AI startup funding across Asia hit a record $11.2 billion in the first quarter of 2026 alone, concentrated in Chinese companies. OpenAI competitor Anthropic is reportedly working toward its own IPO while expecting its first profitable quarter.

The risk remains concentration. If AI spending plateaus or the Stargate project faces delays, supply chain exposure could become a liability. Geopolitical tensions-trade restrictions, chip export controls, and shifting US-Asia alliances-add layers of uncertainty.