Intel Backs SambaNova’s $350M Round After Failed $1.6B Buyout Attempt
Intel is joining a $350 million funding round for AI chip startup SambaNova Systems, alongside Vista Equity Partners and T. Rowe Price. The deal includes a multiyear partnership where SambaNova will adopt Intel server chips and GPUs—a strategic pivot after acquisition talks collapsed earlier this year.
SambaNova's new SN50 chip claims to outperform Nvidia’s B200 GPUs by 5x in compute speed while reducing inference costs by 70%. The startup, chaired by Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan since 2017, had been in discussions for a $1.6 billion buyout by Intel before negotiations broke down.
The collaboration signals Intel’s aggressive push into AI infrastructure, leveraging SambaNova’s architecture to challenge Nvidia’s dominance. "Cloud-scale inference economics are now achievable without GPU lock-in," SambaNova stated in a tweet announcing its SN50 launch.
