NTT, a leading Japanese telecommunications company, is partnering with South Korea's SK Group and Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom to create the IOWN AI Fund, which will have over 70 billion yen (around $440 million) in assets. This initiative aims to accelerate the development of next-generation optical communications technology and support startups focused on AI semiconductors and photonics-electronics convergence across North America, Asia, and Europe. The fund's establishment comes as NTT, SK Group, and Chunghwa Telecom have already collaborated on the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) technology, which utilizes light for data transmission, promising low power consumption and high-speed processing. The IOWN Global Forum, which NTT launched in 2019 with Intel and Sony, aims to standardize this technology internationally. The fund is expected to enhance real-world applications of IOWN, linking Japan's communication technologies with South Korea's semiconductor capabilities and Taiwan's network infrastructure, amidst increasing global competition in AI and telecommunications.