• CEO Kwak Noh-Jung and key executives, alongside global VCs and startup leaders, attend the inaugural 'SK hynix Ventures Day' in Silicon Valley
• Company to expand investments across the entire AI ecosystem
• Discussing strategies to strengthen partnerships with global venture firms and investors in future technology fields such as AI data centers and optical-based systems

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SK hynix Inc. (or "the company", www.skhynix.com) announced today the launch of its corporate venture capital (CVC) brand, "SK hynix Ventures," aimed at expanding strategic partnerships within the global AI ecosystem and securing future innovative technologies.

To mark the occasion, SK hynix held the inaugural "SK hynix Ventures Day" in Silicon Valley, where executives shared investment strategies with global venture capitalists and startup representatives while discussing future technological cooperation to respond to shifts in the AI industry.

The event was attended by CEO Kwak Noh-Jung and key executive leadership, alongside representatives from global VC firms and executives from leading startups.

• Expanding Beyond Tech Sensing to Become a Strategic Partner in the AI Ecosystem

Since 2015, SK hynix has operated a CVC organization, pursuing both direct investments and indirect investments via fund commitments in promising early-stage startups within the semiconductor and emerging tech sectors. By investing in enterprises across key regions including the U.S., China, Israel, and Japan, the company has achieved returns exceeding twice its cumulative investment to date. Furthermore, it has accumulated a track record of discovering new supply chains and customers by pursuing technological collaborations—such as joint equipment development and Proof of Concept (PoC)—with portfolio companies.

While past CVC activities focused primarily on "Tech Sensing" to explore future technology trends and "Path Finding" to discover new business opportunities, the company now plans to expand its CVC scope. Driven by recent advancements in AI technology and industry expansion, the role will evolve from simply discovering promising companies to leading collaborative innovation across the entire ecosystem.

• Discussing Cooperation in AI Computing, Data Centers, and Optical Interconnect

Through SK hynix Ventures, the company plans to broaden its investment scope from traditional semiconductors and emerging tech to the broader AI ecosystem. SK hynix aims to discover technologies and companies with high growth potential in core AI industry sectors—including AI computing, data centers, system software, and optical interconnect—and continually expand its CVC investments.

Meanwhile, the event was attended by promising startups in the U.S. AI computing and data center technology sectors. These companies shared perspectives on future technological innovations, discussing the growing importance of computing, memory, and system software innovations driven by advanced AI models, alongside the performance and power efficiency of optical-based systems for AI data centers.

"Competitiveness in the AI era stems not just from rapidly securing innovative technologies, but from ecosystem capabilities where customers, partners, and startups create new value together," said Kwak Noh-Jung, CEO of SK hynix. "Through SK hynix Ventures, we will support the growth of promising companies and grow into a global partner that jointly designs the future of AI infrastructure based on strategic investments and technological cooperation."

About SK hynix Inc.
SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world's top-tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips ("DRAM") and flash memory chips ("NAND flash") for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company's common shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, its American Depositary Shares are traded on NASDAQ, and its Global Depository Shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

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SOURCE SK hynix Inc.