SambaNova Raises $1 Billion at $11 Billion Valuation in Series F
AI chip company SambaNova Systems secures $1 billion at an $11 billion valuation in the first close of its Series F round, led by General Atlantic. CEO and co-founder Rodrigo Liang says additional investors are expected to join in the coming weeks, with a second close likely finalizing soon. The funding arrives just five months after the Palo Alto-based startup unveils its SN50 chip alongside a $350 million Series E round in February.
SambaNova's relationship with Intel, a backer since its Series C and a participant in this latest round, continues to deepen. The two companies co-develop products and bring them to market together following a multi-year partnership announced earlier this year to support AI inference development based on Intel's Xeon chips. When asked whether the new funding rounds signal a commitment to staying independent, Liang remains noncommittal, noting that the company continually fields acquisition interest and leaves the door open to a potential exit, though momentum likely points toward an eventual IPO.
Alongside the funding, SambaNova announces a significant win with JPMorganChase selecting it as an inference-infrastructure partner. The bank deploys SambaNova's SN40L and SN50 systems to power secure, on-premises AI inference for its most sensitive models. Liang calls the deal a major signal to the broader market, predicting that enterprises and governments will increasingly build their own private infrastructure rather than relying entirely on cloud services as they embark on their AI journeys.