Firebird and the U.S. Government Announce Launch of Phase Two of Major AI Project in Armenia, Expanding to $4 Billion and 50,000 GPUs by 2026

YEREVAN — Firebird, a U.S.-based company specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) cloud technologies and infrastructure, has announced the second phase of its large-scale AI supercomputing project in Armenia. The announcement follows approval from U.S. export licensing and regulatory authorities for the sale and delivery of an additional 41,000 NVIDIA GB300 GPUs to Armenia.

The expanded cluster represents a major milestone, placing Armenia among the world’s top five countries in terms of AI GPU cluster capacity. Valued at $4 billion, the project ranks as one of the most significant technology investments in Armenia’s history.

The announcement was made during a press conference held as part of an official visit to Yerevan by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. The event was attended by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, NVIDIA Vice President for Omniverse and Simulation Technology Rev Lebaredian, as well as Firebird co-founders Razmik Hovakimyan and Alexander Yesayan.

Prime Minister Pashinyan stated:
“I am pleased to note that, thanks to the memorandum signed between Armenia and the United States on August 8 in the fields of semiconductors and artificial intelligence, Firebird’s major project to build an AI factory and data center in Armenia is now being brought to life. I hope that the cooperation formed in the high-tech sector will allow us to further develop and strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships between Armenian and U.S. companies.”

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said:
“Today marks a new beginning for cooperation between Armenia and the United States. The Prime Minister spoke about this incredible technological deal. The United States is proud to approve this remarkable technical agreement involving NVIDIA. This means new markets and new jobs for both American workers and companies, as well as for Armenia. These are chips that simply do not exist in most countries around the world. They will now be developed, and the data centers that use these chips will be built in Armenia, thanks to the Prime Minister’s leadership.”

The newly granted U.S. export license allows the sale and import of NVIDIA’s advanced equipment to Armenia, reaffirming the project’s full compliance with U.S. regulatory frameworks and underscoring the high level of institutional confidence supporting the initiative.

Phase two builds on Firebird’s previously announced first phase, which involved a $500 million investment and laid the foundation for Armenia’s first high-performance AI computing cluster. Together, the two phases represent a qualitative transformation of Armenia’s technological infrastructure, enabling advanced research in biosciences, robotics, space exploration, and next-generation AI applications.

Firebird co-founder and CEO Razmik Hovakimyan added:
“Firebird is expanding U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence on a global scale, in line with our vision of putting AI to work for the benefit of all. This new cluster turns Armenia into a global supercomputing hub and demonstrates how trusted U.S. infrastructure can empower emerging economies. We are grateful to the governments of the United States and Armenia for their partnership, which has made it possible for American technologies to operate on a global scale.”

Firebird’s flagship project aims to create a sustainable, globally competitive technology ecosystem in Armenia, built on secure infrastructure, international partnerships, and long-term economic value.

As Firebird enters its second phase, the initiative stands as a tangible example of how cross-border cooperation, aligned regulatory frameworks, and a shared commitment to innovation can translate into transformational impact of national significance.