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Meta partners with Arm to boost AI recommendations across Facebook and Instagram

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Meta Platforms announced a new partnership with chip technology firm Arm Holdings to power the AI systems behind its personalization and recommendation engines across Facebook and Instagram. The collaboration marks another milestone for Arm as it pushes deeper into data center and AI computing — areas long dominated by Intel and AMD’s x86 architecture.

Meta will deploy Arm-based data center platforms to run the ranking and recommendation algorithms that determine what users see on its apps. Both companies said the shift will deliver higher performance and improved energy efficiency compared to traditional x86 systems.

Arm, backed by Japan’s SoftBank, provides the chip designs that serve as blueprints for central processing units (CPUs) used in billions of devices worldwide. While its technology already dominates smartphones, it is rapidly expanding into server and personal computer markets.

As part of the announcement, Meta revealed a $1.5 billion investment in a new Texas data center, its 29th facility globally, to support AI infrastructure growth. The two companies also said they have optimized Meta’s AI software for Arm chips and made the improvements open source, allowing developers to freely use and build upon them — a move expected to speed up Arm’s adoption in cloud computing.

Meta and Arm plan to continue refining their joint open-source projects to make AI workloads more efficient and accessible across the industry.

Rakuten considers U.S. IPO of credit card business amid rising global listing trend

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Rakuten is exploring an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States for its credit card business, according to two sources familiar with the matter, as the Japanese e-commerce and financial services giant seeks to capitalize on global investor appetite for financial technology stocks.

The considerations, still in their early stages, include a potential stake sale to a strategic buyer, one source said. The move was reportedly prompted in part by SoftBank’s plans to list PayPay in the U.S., which could value the payments firm at over 3 trillion yen ($20 billion).

A U.S. listing of Rakuten Card would mark the company’s biggest overseas capital market move to date. Rakuten’s shares rose 4.7% in Tokyo following the Reuters report, outperforming the Topix index, which gained 1.6%.

Last year, Mizuho Financial Group acquired a 15% stake in Rakuten Card for 165 billion yen ($1.1 billion), valuing the business at over 1 trillion yen ($7 billion). The two firms have since launched joint credit card products.

Credit cards remain central to Rakuten’s ecosystem, linking its e-commerce, banking, travel, and loyalty programs. The division has issued over 30 million cards and reported a 20% rise in operating profit to 62 billion yen last year, though profit slipped 4.5% in the April–June 2025 quarter due to higher operating costs.

Rakuten Card aims to lift profits to 100 billion yen in the medium term and expand into corporate credit services, CEO Koichi Nakamura said earlier this year.

The company’s potential U.S. IPO comes amid a resurgent IPO market, with firms raising $24 billion in the third quarter, the busiest since late 2021, according to Dealogic.

PayPay’s U.S. IPO could top $20 billion valuation, sources say

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PayPay, Japan’s leading digital payments platform backed by SoftBank, could be valued at more than 3 trillion yen ($20 billion) in its upcoming U.S. initial public offering (IPO) planned for December, according to people familiar with the matter.

The potential listing would make PayPay one of the largest Japanese tech IPOs in years. SoftBank, which owns PayPay through several entities including SoftBank Corp, its Vision Fund, and LY Corp, has been meeting institutional investors since mid-September to discuss pricing and valuation.

According to sources, investors view 2 trillion yen as a conservative baseline but expect higher figures due to PayPay’s dominance in Japan’s QR code payment market and its expanding suite of financial services, including banking, credit cards, and cryptocurrency.

PayPay recently launched its international payments service, beginning with South Korea, as it seeks to strengthen its growth story beyond Japan. However, some investors remain cautious about the company’s overseas potential, citing its limited infrastructure outside Asia.

Japan’s cashless payments ratio exceeded 40% last year — still below South Korea and China’s 80%+ levels — leaving room for domestic growth. Meanwhile, SoftBank’s financial segment, which includes PayPay, reported a doubling of operating profit to 18.1 billion yen in the April–June quarter.

PayPay is also moving into crypto services after acquiring a 40% stake in Binance Japan, reinforcing its position as a comprehensive fintech player.