Paris: AI chip startup SambaNova Systems has secured $1 billion in Series F funding, valuing the company at $11 billion, as it looks to strengthen its position in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence semiconductor market.
The funding announcement was made during the Raise Summit in Paris, reinforcing growing investor interest in companies developing alternatives to Nvidia’s dominant AI hardware ecosystem.
The fresh capital will support SambaNova’s global expansion, increase production capacity, and accelerate the deployment of its AI inference infrastructure for enterprise customers.
General Atlantic Leads Landmark Funding Round
The Series F investment was led by global growth investor General Atlantic, with participation from several prominent institutional investors, including:
- Seligman Ventures
- T. Rowe Price Associates
- Capital Group
- BlackRock
- Intel Capital
- Qatar Investment Authority
The latest financing provides SambaNova with significant resources to expand its enterprise footprint while investing in next-generation AI hardware and software platforms.
Rodrigo Liang. SambaNova Founder
Expanding AI Infrastructure Beyond Model Training
Unlike many AI hardware companies focused primarily on training large language models, SambaNova is concentrating on AI inference—the stage where trained AI models generate real-time responses to user requests.
As enterprises increasingly deploy AI assistants for coding, customer support, document processing, and automation, demand for efficient inference infrastructure is growing rapidly.
SambaNova’s custom-designed processors are built specifically for inference workloads, enabling organizations to process AI requests more efficiently while reducing operating costs.
The company believes cost-effective inference infrastructure will become one of the fastest-growing segments of the AI computing market.
New Funding to Support Global Growth
SambaNova plans to use the newly raised capital to:
- Expand enterprise AI deployments globally
- Increase manufacturing capacity
- Strengthen its AI infrastructure platform
- Advance proprietary AI hardware
- Enhance software capabilities supporting enterprise AI workloads
The company aims to help businesses deploy AI applications at scale without relying exclusively on expensive GPU-based infrastructure.
SN50 AI Inference Chip. Image Credit: SambaNova
JPMorgan Chase Selects SambaNova for AI Infrastructure
Alongside the funding announcement, SambaNova also revealed a major enterprise partnership with JPMorgan Chase.
The global banking giant has selected SambaNova as its AI inference infrastructure partner and plans to deploy the company’s SN40 and SN50 AI systems within its own secure data centres.
By operating AI infrastructure on-premises, financial institutions can maintain tighter control over sensitive customer information while meeting regulatory compliance and security requirements.
The agreement highlights growing enterprise demand for secure, high-performance AI infrastructure tailored for regulated industries.
Taking on Nvidia in the AI Hardware Race
Nvidia currently dominates the global AI chip market, driven by surging demand for GPUs used in training and deploying generative AI models.
However, as AI adoption expands across enterprises, organizations are increasingly seeking diversified hardware options that deliver better performance, lower operating costs, and greater supply chain resilience.
SambaNova is positioning itself as one of the leading alternatives by focusing on specialized AI inference processors rather than competing directly in GPU-based model training.
The company also continues to deepen its collaboration with Intel, which has expanded its investment in SambaNova to support enterprise AI inference solutions.
AI Inference Market Gains Momentum
The latest funding reflects growing investor confidence that AI inference will become a critical component of enterprise AI infrastructure.
As organizations move beyond AI experimentation toward large-scale production deployments, demand for efficient AI hardware capable of supporting real-time applications is expected to accelerate.
With fresh capital, an expanding enterprise customer base, and increasing industry recognition, SambaNova is aiming to establish itself as one of the strongest challengers in the evolving AI semiconductor landscape.
Ruchi Kumar is the associate editor at Entrepreneur News Network and TVW News India, where she leads editorial strategy, brand storytelling, and startup ecosystem coverage. With a strong focus on innovation, business, and marketing insights, he curates impactful narratives that spotlight India’s evolving entrepreneurial landscape. She has written extensively on fintech, AI and emerging startups.