Armenian AI hub will receive Nvidia Blackwell GPUs

Yerevan, Armenia – A significant $500-million initiative to establish an artificial intelligence (AI) and supercomputer hub in Armenia has officially taken a major step forward. The project, developed by startup Firebird in partnership with the Armenian government, secured a crucial regulatory approval from the United States for the transfer of advanced Nvidia chips.

Geopolitical Dimensions and US Involvement

The green light for the project involved high-level political maneuvering. At a November 20 news conference, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan revealed he personally lobbied then-US President Donald Trump to expedite the chip-transfer process, linking the matter to the provisional peace deal brokered between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“I am glad and grateful that the White House responded quickly and appropriately. As a result, the project will now confidently move forward,” Pashinyan stated, highlighting the political capital invested in the venture.

Technology and Partnerships

The Armenian hub will receive the highly sought-after Nvidia Blackwell GPUs, which the company touts as defining "the next chapter in generative AI." Further enhancing the project's infrastructure, Michael Dell announced that Dell Technologies will supply PowerEdge servers, lauding the venture as “advancing responsible AI innovation across both nations.”

Firebird, launched in June with offices in San Francisco and Yerevan, aims to leverage this infrastructure to blend “entrepreneurial vision, world-class infrastructure, and global collaboration to unlock new opportunities for innovation and growth.”

Strategic Vision and National Security

Pashinyan characterized the Firebird project as having “significant strategic importance” for Armenia's economic development, aspiring to position the country as a leader in IT and AI within the Caucasus.

Beyond economic aspirations, the initiative has national security implications. By developing advanced AI capabilities, Armenia hopes to achieve strategic parity with Azerbaijan, following a decisive defeat in the Second Karabakh War where Azerbaijan's superiority in battlefield drone technology played a critical role.

Scope and Timeline

The project’s first phase is expected to launch in mid-2026. The planned 100-Megawatt data center will be a substantial facility, with electricity consumption equivalent to a city of approximately 120,000 residents and a daily water requirement of over 500,000 gallons for cooling.

Infrastructure development is underway, with the parent companies of Telecom Armenia and Ireland’s Imagine Broadband involved in laying the groundwork for the data center.

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