The world's largest chip maker approves stakes in both artificial intelligence companies on the same day that Anthropic set the price for its stock market debut
TSMC occupies a central place in the artificial intelligence supply chain: it manufactures processors for clients like Nvidia, whose accelerators are used to train and run advanced models.
However, directly investing in companies that develop these models is not a common practice for the Taiwanese manufacturer. The decision expands its economic presence beyond hardware production.
TSMC, the world's largest contract semiconductor manufacturer, authorized investments of up to USD 1 billion in OpenAI and Anthropic, two leading companies dedicated to artificial intelligence development. The decision was approved on Tuesday, November 10, by its board and officially communicated to the market.
The move comes as the Taiwanese company expands the production of advanced chips for data centers. These are not yet completed disbursements, but authorizations with a limit of USD 500 million for each operation.
According to the board's resolution, TSMC will be able to acquire up to USD 500 million in common shares of Anthropic, at the price established in its initial public offering.
For OpenAI, the operation includes up to USD 500 million in preferred shares. These securities may grant different economic rights compared to common shares, depending on the issuance conditions.
The company also approved allocating up to an additional USD 500 million to create a strategic investment partnership focused on the semiconductor industry and its surrounding companies. This authorization is independent of the stakes planned in OpenAI and Anthropic.
The announcement coincided with the presentation of the price range for Anthropic's IPO, the developer of the assistant Claude.
The firm intends to offer 825 million shares at a price between USD 70 and USD 78 each, a placement that could raise up to USD 64.4 billion.
At the upper end of the range, its valuation would reach approximately USD 1.4 trillion, considering shares, options, and other potentially convertible instruments. The start of trading is expected in November, although it still depends on the completion of the stock market process.
The company is also preparing a private placement of USD 26 billion with participation from major tech groups. Among the mentioned investors are Google, Nvidia, AMD, and Microsoft.
Reuters noted that the move reflects expectations of sustained demand for AI infrastructure, although it also comes amid investor doubts about how long it will take for large sector disbursements to recover.
The board also approved USD 40.9267 billion in capital allocations aimed at increasing and modernizing manufacturing capacity, incorporating advanced packaging technologies, building facilities, and investing in research and development through 2027.
TSMC has expansion projects in the United States, including an announced investment of USD 265 billion in Arizona, and is evaluating new industrial opportunities in Texas.
In its third-quarter balance sheet for 2026, it reported consolidated revenues of 1.49 trillion Taiwanese dollars and net profits of 763.06 billion in that currency.
In the same meeting, the directors approved a dividend of nine Taiwanese dollars per share for the third quarter. The payment is scheduled for April 8, 2027, while the record date for shareholders will be March 17.
The company had reported that the demand for AI-related chips remained extremely strong and projected that its revenues would increase by around 44% during 2026.
With the new authorizations, TSMC will combine industrial investment and financial stakes in AI developers. The actual amount it ultimately allocates to OpenAI and Anthropic will depend on the execution of the operations and their conditions.
