Three startups building processors for artificial intelligence workloads are actively pursuing large fundraising rounds, according to people with direct knowledge of the discussions. Each company is seeking sums that would materially increase its private market valuation.
South Korea-based FuriosaAI is in the market for a financing of $500 million or more that would value the company at in excess of $2 billion, according to an individual familiar with the talks. The company has been mentioned specifically as seeking a half-billion-dollar-plus round tied to that valuation threshold.
Nuvacore, which focuses on new CPU designs, is reported to be close to securing an additional financing in the neighborhood of $200 million or more. That information was conveyed by a person who spoke with Nuvacore's executives and reflects the company's pursuit of a sizeable follow-on investment.
d-Matrix, a designer of AI inference chips, has engaged investors about raising hundreds of millions of dollars and is targeting a valuation of at least $5 billion. That target would represent a substantial increase from a reported $2 billion valuation in November. Sources emphasize that those valuation aims are part of ongoing investor conversations.
Status and caveats
All three companies are in active discussions with potential investors. The people who provided the information noted that talks are ongoing and that the final terms and amounts could change before any financing is completed. No closed deals or definitive agreements were reported in the information reviewed.
Implications for markets
These fundraising efforts, if completed at the reported sizes and valuations, would be significant events within the private markets for semiconductor and AI hardware startups. The proceedings reflect investor interest in companies developing chips for machine learning inference and specialized CPU designs, and they highlight continued capital deployment into AI-focused infrastructure providers.
Summary of reported financing aims
- FuriosaAI: seeking $500 million or more; valuation above $2 billion.
- Nuvacore: close to raising about $200 million or more, per a person who spoke with its executives.
- d-Matrix: talking to investors about raising hundreds of millions; targeting at least a $5 billion valuation, up from $2 billion in November.