Nvidia is committing $500 million to Corning under a partnership aimed at scaling fiber‑optic production for AI data centers. The cash infusion will fund three new plants in North Carolina and Texas, allowing Corning to increase its U.S. optical‑connectivity output tenfold and lift overall fiber capacity by more than 50 percent. The sites will also create roughly 1,200 jobs across the two states.

Corning’s earnings have surged as data‑center rollouts accelerate demand for high‑speed glass links, a trend reinforced earlier this year when Meta signed a multiyear contract worth up to $6 billion for the company’s cable. The partnership with Nvidia, whose own stock rose 2% to $200.74 in pre‑market trading, signals the chipmaker’s confidence that optical bandwidth will be a bottleneck for generative‑AI workloads, tightening supply chain.

Investors reacted sharply; Corning shares jumped almost 18% to $190.69 in pre‑market trade, reflecting optimism that the expanded capacity will lock in long‑term AI supply contracts. With the new facilities slated to come online within the next few years, the deal positions both firms to capture a larger slice of the $10‑plus billion market for AI‑grade connectivity. The move underscores chips‑glass interdependence.