SanDisk Corporation and SK Hynix Inc. announced the launch of a joint workstream under the Open Compute Project to begin standardizing a new memory technology called High‑Bandwidth Flash (HBF). The kickoff event was held at SanDisk’s headquarters in Milpitas, California, and marked the first formal step toward establishing HBF as an industry standard for the AI inference era.
HBF is a new memory layer that bridges the performance gap between ultra‑fast high‑bandwidth memory (HBM) and high‑capacity solid‑state drives (SSDs). By providing the bandwidth and power efficiency required for large‑scale AI inference workloads, HBF aims to become a critical component in data‑center architectures that must handle massive, real‑time AI traffic. The collaboration signals a strategic move by SanDisk to position itself at the forefront of AI infrastructure and by SK Hynix to reinforce its leadership in high‑performance memory.
SanDisk’s recent financial results underscore the company’s momentum. In fiscal Q4 2025, SanDisk generated $1.90 billion in revenue, a 12% sequential increase and 8% year‑over‑year growth, and reported a non‑GAAP diluted EPS of $0.29. Management forecast fiscal Q1 2026 revenue of $2.10 billion to $2.20 billion and a non‑GAAP diluted EPS of $0.70 to $0.90, reflecting continued demand for enterprise SSDs and the early adoption of HBF. SK Hynix also posted strong results, reporting record revenue of KRW 32.83 trillion in Q4 2025, up 34% sequentially and 66% year‑over‑year, with an operating profit of KRW 19.17 trillion and a 58% operating margin. For FY 2025, SK Hynix’s revenue reached KRW 97.1 trillion, a 47% increase year‑over‑year, and operating profit rose to KRW 47.2 trillion, a 101% jump.
Industry analysts project that demand for advanced memory solutions like HBF will accelerate around 2030 as AI inference workloads expand. The joint workstream under the Open Compute Project will facilitate the development of open, interoperable specifications, potentially lowering barriers to adoption and accelerating the deployment of HBF in data‑center fleets. By standardizing the technology, SanDisk and SK Hynix aim to create a new product category that could drive high‑margin enterprise storage solutions and strengthen their competitive positions in the AI infrastructure market.
"The key to AI infrastructure is to go beyond the performance competition of individual technologies and to optimize the entire ecosystem. Through HBF technology standardization the company will establish a cooperative system and present an AI‑era optimized memory architecture to create new value for customers and partners," said Ahn Hyun, President and Chief Development Officer of SK Hynix. "SanDisk delivered another strong quarter with revenue and non‑GAAP earnings per share exceeding guidance. We continue to execute with discipline, balancing innovation and operational focus. The ramp of BiCS8 brings new levels of performance, density and energy efficiency to our customers. With High Bandwidth Flash (HBF), we are creating a new paradigm for AI inference solutions," added David Goeckeler, CEO of SanDisk.
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