Nvidia, a giant in the semiconductor sector, announced an investment of US$1 billion (around R$6.1 billion) in artificial intelligence (AI) companies in 2024, consolidating itself as an important supporter of startups seeking to benefit from the technological revolution driven by the company’s chips. The information is from the British newspaper Financial Times.
With a market capitalization that surpassed $3 trillion in June, Nvidia has been directing growing resources toward its own customers in the emerging AI sector.
According to corporate filings and research from the Dealroom platform, Nvidia participated in 50 financing rounds and multiple corporate deals in 2024, an increase from the 39 rounds and $872 million invested in 2023.
Among Nvidia’s recent investments are participation in funding rounds for renowned AI companies such as OpenAI and Cohere.
The company also acquired AI workload management platform Run:ai and other software groups, bringing its total to more acquisitions in 2024 than in the previous four years combined.
The majority of investments were directed to companies called “AI core”, which have a high demand for computing infrastructure, many of which are also buyers of Nvidia chips.
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Nvidia’s investments come in a context in which its main customers, such as Microsoft, Amazon and Google, are developing custom chips to reduce dependence on the company’s products.
This change could make small AI companies more relevant sources of revenue for Nvidia in the future. In 2024, Nvidia closed more deals than Microsoft and Amazon, although Google continues to be the most active in the sector.
However, Nvidia’s surge in acquisitions and investments raises concerns from regulators and governments about its dominance in the AI industry, especially at a time when the company faces increasing antitrust scrutiny in the United States, Europe and China.
