In its infancy, high-performance processors largely made by Nvidia were the key to modern-day artificial intelligence’s (AI) success. As is the case with most new technologies, however, time and proliferation have highlighted a limiting factor: a lack of capacity to manage and store all the data being used — and created — by AI.

The solution to this problem is giving rise to the next generation of trillion-dollar technology companies, several of which are off most investors’ radars.

Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a “Double Down” signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same “Total Conviction” signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »

AI’s insatiable need

The equipment found within artificial intelligence data centers isn’t really all that different than the technology you’re using right now. Your computer requires a central processor (or CPU), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and a data storage (hard drive), all of which are attached to a motherboard; in all cases, more capacity is better than less. Data centers require the same equipment. They just tether all these motherboards together into a massive network that functions as a single unit.

And as it turns out, data center owners and operators arguably underestimated the amount of memory they would need.

This has proven a boon for Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU), of course, which makes computer memory. Its net income more than tripled year over year on revenue growth of 74% for the fiscal quarter ending in February, reflecting the roughly 40% year-to-date increase in memory prices and their 240% run-up for the past 12 months. Most important to investors, Micron’s stock price has soared more than 237% just in 2026, and is up roughly 900% for the past 12 months, pushing its market cap to over $1 trillion in the process.

It’s not just Micron, though, nor is it just DRAM. South Korea’s SK Hynix (KOSE: A000660) is benefiting from the same insatiable demand for temporary computer memory and permanent data storage as well, since it makes memory chips in addition to hard drives. Its stock — which isn’t yet listed within the United States — has also been catapulted since the middle of last year, making it another one of the market’s few trillion-dollar companies. Shares of better-known Samsung (OTC: SSNLF) are also soaring thanks to its strong presence in the memory and storage markets.