AI inference is consuming NAND flash faster than suppliers can allocate it. Enterprise SSD contract prices rose roughly 80% in the first quarter of 2026, and on TrendForce's count the top five brands' combined revenue hit a record $18.46 billion — enterprise SSD revenue rose 86.1% in a single quarter
TrendForce reported that the combined revenue of the top five enterprise SSD brands reached a record $18.46 billion in the first quarter of 2026. This represents an 86.1% quarter-over-quarter increase in enterprise SSD revenue. The market experienced a severe supply-demand imbalance, leading to an approximate 80% rise in enterprise SSD contract prices during the quarter.
Verified 2026-08-14
Track with InsiderWhy it matters
Business storage drives are needed to run AI, and demand has let their makers raise prices sharply.
More on Supply chain
- TrendForce says a shortage of critical optoelectronic components — EML and CW lasers — is reshaping the AI optical transceiver supply chain, and projects the global market to grow from $16.5 billion in 2025 to $26 billion in 2026, an AI optical transceiver market up more than 57% year-over-year
- Applied Materials agreed in October 2026 to raise its stake in Besi, the Dutch maker of chip assembly equipment, to about 20%
- Applied Materials, the chipmaking-equipment supplier whose CEO says AI continues to fuel strong demand for semiconductors, reported revenue for its fiscal fourth quarter ended 25 October 2026 of a record $10.41 billion, up 53 percent year over year
The AI boom,with receipts.
6 sourced facts every weekday, plus the Weekly Brief, AI company deep dives and so much more. Free.
Free · No card · Unsubscribe anytime · See today's issue →
Join now and you start with 100 Receipts on The Receipts Ledger — your first step toward a free year of Insider or Pro. How it works →