NVIDIA Invests $40B in AI Partnerships as Apple R&D Hits 10%

NVIDIA surpassed $40 billion in equity investments this year through strategic partnerships across the AI infrastructure stack, while Apple increased R&D spending to 10.3% of revenue in Q1 2026 — the highest level in company history. The moves signal intensifying competition as tech giants race to secure AI supply chains and capabilities.

NVIDIA’s $40 Billion Investment Strategy

NVIDIA has committed over $40 billion in equity investments throughout 2026, according to CNBC reporting. The chip giant’s latest deals include up to $3.2 billion for glass manufacturer Corning and up to $2.1 billion for data center operator IREN.

The Corning partnership centers on optical fiber technology critical for AI data centers. Corning will increase optical manufacturing capacity in the United States tenfold, opening three new advanced manufacturing plants dedicated entirely to NVIDIA’s optical technology requirements.

“This partnership will revitalize American manufacturing,” NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said, according to CNBC. The deal follows Corning’s recent $6 billion agreement with Meta, contributing to the glass maker’s 250% stock price increase over the past year.

Matthew Bryson, analyst at Wedbush Securities, noted that NVIDIA’s dealmaking strategy fits the company’s broader approach of taking equity stakes while securing commercial agreements throughout the AI infrastructure ecosystem.

Apple Ramps AI Investments

Apple’s R&D spending reached 10.3% of revenue in the March 2026 quarter, marking the first time the iPhone maker has crossed the 10% threshold. The increase brings Apple closer to other megacap tech companies’ R&D intensity levels as artificial intelligence development accelerates.

“That’s a sign that Apple is seeing a sense of urgency around new AI products,” Gene Munster, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, told CNBC. The spending surge represents Apple’s response to competitive pressure in the AI race, though the company maintains a different approach to capital expenditures compared to cloud infrastructure-heavy rivals.

The elevated R&D investment reflects Apple’s focus on integrating AI capabilities across its device ecosystem, from iPhones to Macs, as the company works to differentiate its AI offerings from competitors like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI.

Manufacturing and Supply Chain Focus

Apple’s increased spending comes as the company faces supply chain complexities in AI chip procurement. Unlike cloud providers that can deploy massive data centers, Apple must optimize AI performance within the power and thermal constraints of mobile devices.

The company’s approach contrasts with competitors who are building extensive cloud infrastructure. Apple’s strategy emphasizes on-device processing and privacy-focused AI implementations that require different technological approaches and R&D investments.

Avride Safety Investigation

Regulatory scrutiny continues for AI-powered transportation as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into Avride, Uber’s robotaxi partner. The probe centers on 16 crashes involving Avride’s self-driving system between December 2025 and March 2026.

NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation identified issues with “the competence of” Avride’s autonomous driving system, particularly in lane changing, responding to other vehicles, and detecting stationary objects. All crashes occurred with safety monitors present in the driver’s seat.

Avride, a subsidiary of Netherlands-based Nebius (formerly Yandex NV), received up to $375 million in strategic investments from Uber and Nebius in 2025. The company operates robotaxi services in Dallas, Texas, where many of the reported incidents occurred.

“We have implemented targeted technical and operational mitigations to address our findings from each reported incident,” Avride said in a statement. The company noted that incident frequency relative to total mileage has declined as operations expanded.

Partnership Ecosystem Expansion

The recent deals highlight how AI companies are building comprehensive partnership networks rather than developing all technologies in-house. NVIDIA’s investment strategy creates commercial relationships while securing equity upside in portfolio companies.

Corning’s optical fiber manufacturing capacity expansion directly supports the high-bandwidth requirements of AI training and inference workloads. The partnership addresses a critical bottleneck as AI models grow larger and require faster data transfer between processing units.

Similarly, NVIDIA’s investment in IREN provides data center capacity while creating strategic alignment with infrastructure providers. These dual commercial-investment structures help NVIDIA secure supply chains while generating returns on capital deployment.

What This Means

The surge in AI-focused investments and partnerships reflects the technology sector’s recognition that AI leadership requires control over entire infrastructure stacks. NVIDIA’s $40 billion investment spree demonstrates how the company is leveraging its dominant position in AI chips to build a comprehensive ecosystem of suppliers and customers.

Apple’s R&D spending increase signals the company’s acknowledgment that AI capabilities have become table stakes for consumer technology products. The 10.3% spending level puts Apple on par with other tech giants who have historically invested more heavily in research and development.

For investors, these moves indicate that AI competition is driving unprecedented capital allocation toward infrastructure, manufacturing, and research. Companies are prioritizing long-term positioning over short-term profitability as they race to establish AI market leadership.

The regulatory investigation of Avride highlights ongoing safety challenges in autonomous vehicle deployment, even as partnerships with established ride-sharing platforms like Uber provide market access for robotaxi companies.

FAQ

How much has NVIDIA invested in AI partnerships this year?
NVIDIA has committed over $40 billion in equity investments throughout 2026, including up to $3.2 billion for Corning and up to $2.1 billion for IREN. These investments combine commercial partnerships with equity stakes in AI infrastructure companies.

Why did Apple increase R&D spending to 10% of revenue?
Apple’s R&D spending reached 10.3% of revenue in Q1 2026 as the company accelerates AI product development. Analysts view this as Apple responding to competitive pressure and urgency around new AI capabilities across its device ecosystem.

What safety issues led to the Avride investigation?
NHTSA is investigating 16 crashes involving Avride’s self-driving system, focusing on problems with lane changing, responding to other vehicles, and detecting stationary objects. All incidents occurred with safety monitors present, raising questions about system competence and human oversight protocols.