- Groq, a Silicon Valley AI chip startup, has reached a valuation of $2.8B following its latest funding round, positioning itself as a strong competitor in the AI chip industry.
- The $640 million Series D round was led by major investors including Cisco Investments, Samsung Catalyst Fund, and BlackRock Private Equity Partners.
OUR TAKE
Groq’s latest funding round signifies a major milestone in the AI chip industry, showcasing the growing interest and investment in alternatives to Nvidia’s dominant position.
-Lilith Chen, BTW Reporter
What happened
Groq, the Silicon Valley semiconductor startup, announced on Monday that it has raised $640 million in a Series D funding round. The round was led by Cisco Investments, Samsung Catalyst Fund, and BlackRock Private Equity Partners, among others. This significant investment has brought the company’s valuation to $2.8B.
Founded by a former Alphabet engineer, Groq specialises in producing AI inference chips, which optimise speed and execute commands of pre-trained models. The startup has been focusing on providing alternatives to Nvidia’s dominant AI chips, which are in high demand but have limited supply.
In a notable move, Groq adapted Meta Platforms’ large language model, LLaMA, to run on its chips instead of Nvidia’s. This adaptation has enabled Groq to offer competitive AI solutions to cloud service providers looking for alternatives to Nvidia’s processors. With the new funding, Groq plans to expand its offerings and scale its operations, solidifying its position as a formidable competitor in the AI chip industry.
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Why it’s important
Groq plans to utilise the new funds to scale the capacity of its tokens-as-a-service (TaaS) offering and enhance its GroqCloud with new models and features. By the end of the first quarter of 2025, the company aims to deploy more than 108,000 Language Processing Units manufactured by Global Foundries.
The appointment of Stuart Pann, a former senior executive at Intel and HP Inc, as Groq’s chief operating officer, and Meta’s chief AI scientist Yann LeCun as its newest technical adviser, underscores the company’s commitment to advancing its technological capabilities and market position.
Groq’s ambitious plans and recent achievements highlight its potential to challenge Nvidia’s dominance in the AI chip market, offering innovative solutions and addressing the growing demand for AI technology. With these strategic moves, Groq is poised to become a major player in the industry, leveraging its cutting-edge technology and strong leadership team to drive future growth and innovation.
