"AI's Next Frontier Is Data"—SBVA Invests in Databricks [FN Market Watch]

[Financial News] SBVA participated in Databricks' US$5 billion strategic investment round, valued at approximately KRW 6.8 trillion.
According to investment banking industry sources on the 2nd, the investment in Databricks was led by US venture capital firm Coatue. Global investment firms, including SBVA, Blackstone, MGX and Sixth Street Growth, also participated. The funding valued Databricks at US$190 billion, or approximately KRW 258 trillion.
Founded in 2013, Databricks provides an integrated platform that helps companies manage and analyze data in one place and build AI systems that apply it to real-world business operations. More than 20,000 companies and institutions worldwide currently use Databricks. Its revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 increased by more than 80% from the same period a year earlier. Annualized revenue exceeded US$7 billion, or approximately KRW 9.5 trillion.
SBVA cited the growing importance of technologies that effectively manage and utilize data as companies increasingly adopt AI. It particularly valued Databricks' competitive position in the enterprise AI market, supported by a platform that enables companies to connect their data with and use it across various AI models.
SBVA is expanding its investments in promising AI technology companies based on the expertise and network it has built through years of global investing. In the first half of this year, it invested in AMI Labs, a global frontier lab founded by renowned AI scholar Yann LeCun, as well as Sierra Technologies, an enterprise AI agent platform. More recently, it has strengthened its overseas investment capabilities by recruiting venture partners with global investment experience and local networks.
JP Lee, CEO of SBVA, said, "As the AI industry advances rapidly, the importance of data infrastructure that supports the practical application of AI in business is also growing. We will actively support Databricks so that it can grow into a key technology company driving enterprise AI adoption in Korea and across Asia."
Meanwhile, investment banking industry sources viewed the deal as part of SBVA's expansion of its global AI investment focus from applications to core infrastructure. An industry source said, "As competition among AI models intensifies, the value of infrastructure that connects data held by companies to actual AI services can only increase. It is also noteworthy that a Korean investment firm joined major global investors in backing a late-stage global AI company that has secured a large valuation."
[email protected] Kang Gu-gwi Reporter