US Startup Positron in Talks to Raise $750 Million at Up to $5 Billion Valuation

en.Wedoany.com Reported - AI chip startup Positron is in talks to raise approximately $750 million in two phases, with a valuation that could reach up to $5 billion. The company, which develops energy-efficient inference chips, is attempting to compete with Nvidia in an increasingly crowded market.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the first phase of funding is expected to value the company at $3.5 billion, while the second phase could see the valuation rise to approximately $5 billion. The sources requested anonymity as the negotiations are not yet public. One of the sources said Positron has received multiple letters of intent for this round of investment. If successful, the startup's valuation would more than triple in just five months.

Investor interest in AI chip and infrastructure startups is heating up. Companies like Positron, which focus on the inference stage—where AI models provide responses to real-world inputs after completing training—are particularly drawing attention. This funding negotiation is the latest example of consecutive phased fundraising by AI startups, reflecting the hyper-competitive pressures in the current technology landscape. However, talks are ongoing and terms may change. Representatives for Positron, headquartered in Reno, Nevada, declined to comment.

Positron boasts a large roster of investors, including Valor Equity Partners, Atreides Management, and DFJ Growth. Other backers include Arm Holdings Plc and the Qatar Investment Authority.

This week, chip startup SambaNova Systems Inc. announced a $1 billion fundraising at an $11 billion valuation. This followed earlier talks by Intel to acquire SambaNova at a lower valuation. Another Nvidia competitor, Etched, recently raised $800 million and signed $1 billion in sales contracts. Cerebras Systems Inc., which also produces inference chips, completed the largest initial public offering of the year in May, but its stock price, after briefly surging to $311.07, has fallen below the IPO price, closing at $181.72 on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Nvidia is working to fend off new competition, having agreed in December to license inference chip technology from Groq and plans to integrate it into its own products.