Powering the Future: Apple & Nvidia Eye Investment in OpenAI
Nvidia Corp., the world’s largest chipmaker, has been in talks to participate in a funding round for OpenAI that could value the artificial intelligence startup at over $100 billion, according to sources.
Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have also been in discussions to join the funding though the discussions are confidential. Thrive Capital is expected to lead the round with an investment of around $1 billion earlier this week. Nvidia is considering an investment of about $100 million, according to two of the sources.
Should these discussions proceed, it would mean that the three most valuable tech giants—Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia—are all backing OpenAI, the creator of the groundbreaking ChatGPT. Microsoft is already OpenAI’s largest investor, with a commitment of around $13 billion.
Representatives from Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Thrive Capital all declined to comment.
The growing influence of Big Tech in the field of artificial intelligence has attracted increasing scrutiny, with regulators in both the EU and the US expressing concerns over Nvidia’s dominance in AI chips and Microsoft’s deep integration with OpenAI. Microsoft has tightly woven OpenAI’s technology into its Windows and Copilot AI platforms, betting on these capabilities to fuel future growth.
Apple also has a relationship with OpenAI. The iPhone maker is incorporating ChatGPT into its new AI suite, Apple Intelligence. Apple was also set to gain a board observer seat at OpenAI alongside Microsoft, but these plans were shelved in July.
Nvidia, on the other hand, provides essential infrastructure for developing and running AI tools like ChatGPT. It is the leading manufacturer of AI accelerators, with sales soaring over the past two years.
In its most recent quarterly report, Nvidia’s revenue more than doubled to $30 billion, and the company forecasted even higher sales for the current quarter, exceeding analysts’ expectations. Despite this strong performance, shares fell as investors had already anticipated exceptional results.
According to a memo from OpenAI’s Chief Financial Officer, Sarah Friar, the company is seeking new capital, though specific details were not provided. OpenAI has been in talks to raise funds at a valuation of $100 billion or more since at least December.
The funding would strengthen OpenAI, one of the world’s most valuable venture-backed startups. The tremendous success of ChatGPT has sparked a race among tech companies to integrate AI technology across their platforms and invest in other promising AI startups.
In her memo, Friar noted that the new funding would be used to acquire additional computing power and cover other operational expenses.