Rebellions, SK Telecom, and DOCOMO Innovations Partner to Accelerate Next-Gen AI Infrastructure

[Seoul, April 24, 2025] Rebellions today announced the signing of a strategic MOU with SK Telecom and DOCOMO Innovations (DII), a subsidiary of Japan’s leading telecom provider NTT DOCOMO. The agreement lays the foundation for joint development and validation of cutting-edge AI acceleration technologies.

Under this collaboration, the three companies will focus on evaluating Rebellions’ ATOM-based NPU servers within SK Telecom’s NPU farm. Building on the success of this initiative, the partners plan to expand validation efforts to include a broader range of Rebellions’ product portfolio.

Rebellions will bring its high-performance AI chips, proven system reliability, and software optimization expertise to the table. SK Telecom will provide its NPU farm and AI infrastructure capabilities, while DII will conduct technical evaluations and help facilitate discussions on potential paths to commercialization. This partnership is expected to combine the core strengths of each company to help accelerate the growth of the global AI hardware ecosystem.

Rebellions recently established a Japanese subsidiary, further accelerating its global expansion. This agreement marks a significant step in the company’s ambition to become a key player in the global AI infrastructure market.

“Rebellions is committed to proving the real-world stability and performance of our technology in live infrastructure environments,” said Jinwook Oh, CTO of Rebellions. “Collaboration between a hardware provider, an infrastructure leader, and actual users is crucial – and together with SK Telecom and DII, we’re building meaningful progress toward the future of AI.”

Yoshikazu Akinaga, CEO of DOCOMO Innovations, added: “At DOCOMO Innovations, we are dedicated to driving forward innovation in practical AI solutions by working closely with global technology leaders. This partnership—bringing together Rebellions’ advanced semiconductor technology and SK Telecom’s infrastructure capabilities—will allow us to explore and assess the potential of scalable, sustainable AI systems, while maintaining a technology-agnostic approach to ensure optimal solutions for future applications.”

Sangmin Lee, Vice President of Growth Business Development Office at SK Telecom, commented: “SK Telecom delivers world-class, AI-optimized cloud services. This collaboration provides an opportunity to demonstrate our NPU cloud technology, which integrates a wide range of AI data center solutions. We are committed to contributing to the success of next-generation AI infrastructure services—powered not just by GPUs, but also by NPUs.”

About Rebellions

Rebellions builds energy-efficient AI accelerators optimized for Generative AI workloads. The company’s first mass-produced AI chip, ATOM, launched in 2023 for data center deployment, and its next-generation chip REBEL features a scalable chiplet architecture with 144GB HBM3e memory for Large Language Models and Multi-Modal Models. Founded in 2020, Rebellions has secured backing from strategic investors including Wa’ed Ventures and KT (Korea Telecom). Following its merger with SAPEON Korea in 2024, the company welcomed SK Telecom and SK hynix as additional strategic investors, further strengthening its position in the global AI chip market. For more information, visit https://rebellions.ai

About Docomo Innovations

DOCOMO Innovations, Inc., a subsidiary of NTT DOCOMO, Japan’s leading mobile service provider, acts as a conduit linking NTT DOCOMO with the cutting-edge innovations emerging from Silicon Valley. Through partnerships, collaborations, and open innovation, DOCOMO Innovations aims to extend the technological advancements and expertise of NTT DOCOMO to the global market, enhancing customer experiences and driving technological progress.

About SK Telecom

SK Telecom has been leading the growth of the mobile industry since 1984. Now, it is taking customer experience to new heights by extending beyond connectivity. By placing AI at the core of its business, SK Telecom is rapidly transforming into an AI company with a strong global presence. It is focusing on driving innovations in areas of AI Infrastructure, AI Transformation (AIX) and AI Service to deliver greater value for industry, society, and life. For more information, please contact skt_press@sk.com or visit our LinkedIn page www.linkedin.com/company/sk-telecom.