Seoul: South Korea's Naver Corp. announced its investment in a U.S. startup focused on developing wave-powered floating data centers, marking a significant step in its global AI infrastructure expansion.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the investment targets Oregon-based Panthalassa, a company founded in 2016 that specializes in creating autonomous, floating data centers. These centers are powered by ocean waves and are designed to handle AI workloads at sea, eliminating the need for land-based operations.

The computing results from these floating platforms are transmitted back to land using low-earth-orbit satellite connections, such as those provided by SpaceX's Starlink. Panthalassa aims to demonstrate its latest wave-powered platform within the year and plans to commercialize it by 2027.