Ajinomoto is a century-old Japanese seasoning giant best known for producing monosodium glutamate (MSG). It also makes Ajinomoto Build-up Film (ABF), an insulation material for AI processors, originally derived from MSG by-products. The firm controls more than 95% of the ABF market. Ajinomoto began work on ABF in the 1970s; the material was first adopted by a major chipmaker in 1999. Booming AI-chip demand pushed Ajinomoto's share price up by 65% in early 2026, roughly three times the Nikkei's gain.
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