Fadu to sample 7th-gen SSD controller to customers in 2028, eyes market lead

South Korean SSD controller maker Fadu has announced plans to deliver samples of its 7th-generation solid-state drive controller to customers in 2028, while outlining a broader strategy to expand its controller lineup in step with rising AI demand.

The company unveiled the roadmap — branded "Fadu 2.0" — at FMS 2026 in Santa Clara, California, on Tuesday (local time).

In a keynote address, Fadu President Lee Ji-hyo introduced the company's newly launched flagship 6th-generation controller, saying "NAND will play the most critical role in both memory and storage within the AI data center market." The controller is ready for supply and is scheduled for delivery in the second half of this year.

Fadu also gave the first public showing of a finished SSD product equipped with the 6th-generation controller at its booth. The new controller delivers more than twice the performance of its 5th-generation predecessor and is designed to help customers reduce total cost of ownership for their data centers.

Fadu CEO Nam Yi-hyun outlined the company's goals of sustaining leadership in the AI data center SSD market and strengthening innovation and customer support built around NAND tailored to next-generation AI requirements.

Fadu also conducted a live technical demonstration of its 6th-generation SSD technology at the event. On-site measurements confirmed results consistent with the company's officially published specifications, raising expectations for its next-generation storage solutions.

"We will use this stage, where leading NAND flash and SSD companies gather, to broadly promote Fadu's business roadmap and solutions and turn it into an opportunity to win new customers and drive growth," Nam said. "Building on FMS, we will strengthen Fadu's technology leadership within the hyperscaler ecosystem that invests in and operates AI data centers."