Nvidia, the Silicon Valley-based tech giant renowned for its prowess in designing computer chips for artificial intelligence (AI), has cast a long shadow over the prospects of potential competitors, leading to a notable decline in venture funding for emerging AI chip startups, according to investors. The current quarter has seen a staggering 80 percent decrease in U.S. deals compared to the same period last year, Reuters news report said.
Nvidia’s stronghold in the AI market primarily revolves around its chips tailored for processing vast volumes of language data, which play a pivotal role in training generative AI models. These models become increasingly intelligent with more exposure to data, a process known as training.
As Nvidia’s dominance in this sector has grown, it has become increasingly challenging for emerging companies to carve out a niche and compete effectively. This perceived riskiness has led venture financiers to hesitate when providing substantial financial injections. The development and testing of a chip prototype can incur costs exceeding $500 million, making it essential for startups to secure significant investments.
Greg Reichow, a partner at Eclipse Ventures, noted, “Nvidia’s continued dominance has put a really fine point on how hard it is to break into this market. This has resulted in a pullback in investment into these companies, or at least into many of them.”
PitchBook data indicates that U.S. chip startups have raised $881.4 million through the end of August, a significant drop from the $1.79 billion raised during the first three quarters of the previous year. The number of deals plummeted from 23 to just four by the end of August.
AI chip startup Mythic, which has accumulated approximately $160 million in funding overall, faced financial difficulties last year, nearly prompting a halt to its operations, as reported by technology website The Register. However, the company managed to secure a relatively modest $13 million investment several months later in March.
Mythic CEO Dave Rick pointed out that Nvidia’s dominance indirectly contributed to fundraising challenges as investors now seek “home run only type investments with a huge investment, huge return.” Rick also acknowledged that the cyclical downturn in the semiconductor industry has added to the fundraising woes.
A startup named Rivos, specializing in chip designs for data servers, has reportedly faced fundraising difficulties due to litigation with Apple, which accused Rivos of intellectual property theft. Nevertheless, a Rivos spokesperson asserted that Nvidia’s market dominance has not hindered its fundraising efforts.
In the current investment landscape, chip startups are encountering more stringent requirements from investors. Companies are expected to have a product either on the verge of launch or already generating sales. Investments that once reached $200 million or $300 million just a couple of years ago have now dwindled to approximately $100 million.
Despite the challenges faced by chip startups in Nvidia’s shadow, AI software and related technology startups continue to flourish, attracting around $24 billion in funding through August this year, as reported by PitchBook data.
While Nvidia’s hold on AI computing remains formidable, potential alternatives are on the horizon. AMD is set to launch a chip to rival Nvidia’s offerings, and Intel has gained a competitive product through an acquisition, positioning these companies as potential contenders in the AI chip market.
Additionally, niche applications like chips for data-intensive computing in prediction algorithms are emerging, offering opportunities for new entrants as Nvidia’s dominance does not extend to this area.
