IT Services Firm Samsung SDS Eyes M&A in AI, Security, GPU Infrastructure to Fuel Next Phase of Growth
Samsung SDS announced Wednesday its strategic focus on growth investments, leveraging its substantial 6.4 trillion won ($4.7 billion) cash reserves to propel expansion in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing.
During the annual shareholders meeting, CEO Lee Jun-hee detailed a capital allocation strategy that prioritizes growth investments while ensuring shareholder value.
“We believe 2026 will be a critical year in determining AI and cloud leadership,” stated Lee. “Our main objective this year is growth.”
The Samsung Group’s IT services division intends to increase investment in AI infrastructure. This includes building new data centers in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, and developing a national AI computing facility. Additionally, the company plans to install GPU-based servers at its Dongtan site in Gyeonggi Province to accommodate the increasing demand for AI processing power.
Samsung SDS is actively seeking strategic mergers and acquisitions (M&A), targeting companies specializing in AI transformation, AI security, GPU infrastructure, and industry-specific IT solutions. Furthermore, the company is evaluating investments in logistics companies to strengthen its digital forwarding capabilities.
The company’s acquisition of supply chain management solutions provider Emro in 2023 led to its integration as a subsidiary, with joint efforts focused on developing software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings.
Lee emphasized that Samsung SDS aims to strengthen its full-stack AI capabilities and broaden AI-driven services across sectors such as the public sector and financial services, while simultaneously cultivating new growth areas including AI data and design-build-operate services. The company is also exploring emerging business opportunities in areas like stablecoins and physical AI for potential future commercialization.
Samsung SDS reported revenue of 13.9 trillion won in 2025, a 0.7 percent year-over-year increase, driven by AI projects in the public sector. The logistics division generated 7.39 trillion won in revenue, with its digital platform Cello Square expanding its customer base by 27 percent.
The company stated that these results demonstrate significant progress in establishing a foundation for growth, focusing on AI, cloud technology, and digital logistics.
At the shareholders meeting, governance changes were approved, including the adoption of cumulative voting and an increase in the ceiling for convertible bond issuance from 67 billion won to 1.5 trillion won.
The board of directors also underwent changes. Outside directors Lee Jae-jin, head of Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Data Science, and Moon Moo-il, former prosecutor general and currently a senior lawyer at Shin & Kim, were reappointed. Park Jung-soo, an economics professor at Sogang University, was newly appointed as an outside director, while Kim Tae-ho, head of management support at Samsung SDS, joined as an inside director.
Lee affirmed that the company will continue to prioritize a balance between investment and shareholder returns while upholding transparent governance practices.
