Nvidia has rapidly established itself as a cornerstone of the AI revolution—not just through its industry-leading hardware, but also by strategically investing in promising AI startups across diverse sectors.
Through its venture arm and partnerships, Nvidia supports innovators working on everything from large language models and AI infrastructure to robotics and generative AI. These investments not only accelerate the development of cutting-edge technologies but also strengthen Nvidia’s position at the heart of the global AI ecosystem.
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Here’s a list of Nvidia’s AI startup investments:
OpenAI
Nvidia made a significant investment of $100 million in OpenAI in October 2023, participating in a massive $6.6 billion funding round that valued OpenAI at $157 billion. This partnership underscores Nvidia’s commitment to supporting large language model development, aligning with OpenAI’s leading role in AI research and deployment.
2. Figure AI
Figure AI, a startup focused on humanoid robotics, raised $675 million in February 2024 with Nvidia among the key investors. This funding round, which also included Microsoft and the OpenAI Startup Fund, boosted Figure AI’s valuation to $2.6 billion, highlighting Nvidia’s strategic interest in next-generation robotics powered by AI.
3. Mistral AI
In June 2024, Nvidia invested in Mistral AI during its $640 million Series B round, which valued the French-based company at $6 billion. Mistral AI focuses on developing advanced large language models, making it a strong fit within Nvidia’s ecosystem aimed at fueling the next wave of AI innovation in Europe and beyond.
4. Lambda
Lambda, a provider of Nvidia GPU-powered infrastructure for AI model training, secured $480 million in February 2024. Nvidia’s investment supports Lambda’s mission to rent out high-performance servers to AI developers, strengthening the AI infrastructure layer that is critical for accelerating AI research and deployment.
5. Cohere
Nvidia participated in a $500 million funding round for Cohere in June 2024. Cohere specializes in enterprise-focused large language models, providing businesses with AI tools to improve operations. Nvidia’s backing signals a strong push into scalable AI solutions tailored for corporate needs.
6. Perplexity
Perplexity, an AI-powered search startup, raised $500 million in December 2024, with Nvidia actively participating in all its funding rounds since November 2023. Valued at $9 billion, Perplexity is innovating in AI-driven information retrieval, making it a strategic partner for Nvidia in AI-enhanced search technologies.
7. Poolside
Poolside, an AI coding assistant startup, secured $500 million in October 2024, with Nvidia among the investors. The company, valued at $3 billion, develops AI tools that help developers write code more efficiently, reflecting Nvidia’s interest in AI applications that boost software development productivity.
8. CoreWeave
Nvidia invested $221 million in CoreWeave in April 2023, a GPU cloud infrastructure provider. This investment helped CoreWeave’s valuation skyrocket from $2 billion to $19 billion and positioned it for an IPO. CoreWeave offers scalable GPU resources critical for training and running large AI models.
9. Together AI
Together AI, focusing on AI model infrastructure, raised $305 million in February 2025 with Nvidia participating in the Series B round. Valued at $3.3 billion, Together AI is building platforms that streamline AI development, enhancing Nvidia’s ecosystem by fostering innovation at the infrastructure level.
10. Sakana AI
Sakana AI received $214 million in Series A funding in September 2024, supported by Nvidia. This startup focuses on training cost-effective generative AI models using small datasets, an area that could democratize AI access and aligns with Nvidia’s goal to broaden AI’s reach and usability.
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Together, these investments reflect Nvidia’s holistic approach to advancing artificial intelligence by nurturing startups that push the boundaries of what AI can achieve. By backing a broad range of companies—from foundational infrastructure providers to specialized AI application developers—Nvidia is creating a robust ecosystem that drives innovation forward and helps shape the future of AI across industries worldwide.