AI startup Thinking Machines Lab announced a multi-year partnership with Nvidia, securing a significant investment and at least one gigawatt of the chipmaker's next-generation processors. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Founded last year by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, Thinking Machines will deploy Nvidia's upcoming Vera Rubin systems starting early next year. This computing power will primarily train the startup's AI models.
Industry experts estimate 1 gigawatt of computing power can cost around $50 billion, underscoring the deal's scale and the industry's drive to expand computing capacity. This partnership aids Thinking Machines in competing with larger rivals.
Thinking Machines has quickly gained attention, previously raising approximately $2 billion in a seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz, valuing the company at $12 billion, with Nvidia also participating as an investor.
The deal highlights Nvidia's expanding role as a financier for AI startups dependent on its chips, mirroring past tech industry dynamics.