COMPANIES · AI CHIPS & NETWORKING

SambaNova Systems

SambaNova Systems is a private company that designs its own AI chips and systems, sold as hardware or as a managed service, for running large AI models at data-center scale.

DirectAI chips & networking
What it does

SambaNova Systems is a private company that designs its own AI chips and systems, sold as hardware or as a managed service, for running large AI models at data-center scale.

Why it matters

SambaNova raised $350 million in February 2026 alongside a strategic collaboration and investment from Intel and a chip-supply deal with SoftBank Corp., positioning it as one of several venture-backed challengers to Nvidia in AI inference hardware.

How it makes money

SambaNova makes money by selling its proprietary AI chips and systems, and a managed inference service, to enterprises, government agencies and telecom customers.

Geography

United States (Palo Alto, California)

AI stack position

AI chips and networking. The companies designing the processors, accelerators and networking equipment that do the actual computing behind AI, including GPUs like NVIDIA's, and the high-speed connections that link thousands of them together.

Connections (7)

Every connection below is tied to a readable source, date, classification and statement of its limits. A company source establishes what that company stated; it does not necessarily provide independent confirmation.

Current relationships (1)

Intel Corporation co-developing an inference reference architecture for agentic AI on Intel Xeon 6 SambaNova Systems
Co-develops withCurrent
Intel and SambaNova expanded their partnership to jointly deliver an inference architecture combining Intel Xeon 6 processors and SambaNova's AI chips to support agentic AI workloads.

Source: 2026-02-26 · reviewed 2026-09-20

Evidence: Primary-source statement · Current, expanded technical collaboration distinct from Intel's separate equity investment in SambaNova

Limits: Describes a product/technical collaboration announced by both companies; does not disclose revenue terms or imply exclusivity beyond the stated joint architecture.

SambaNova Unveils Fastest Chip for Agentic AI, Collaborates with Intel, and Raises $350M+ ↗

Dated or announced (3)

BlackRock invested in SambaNova Systems
Invested inDated / announced
General Atlantic's July 8, 2026 announcement of SambaNova's $1 billion Series F first close at an $11 billion valuation lists funds and accounts managed by BlackRock among the participating investors, alongside T. Rowe Price, Capital Group, Intel Capital, Qatar Investment Authority and Vista Equity Partners.

Source: 2026-07-08 · reviewed 2026-09-22

Evidence: Primary-source statement · Announced

Limits: Does not disclose BlackRock's individual investment amount or resulting ownership percentage; described as a 'first close' so the round may not have been final as of this date.

SambaNova Completes First Close of $1 Billion Financing at $11 Billion Valuation ↗
Intel Corporation invests in and partners with SambaNova Systems
Invested inDated / announced
Intel Capital participated in a $350 million-plus SambaNova funding round announced in February 2026, and Intel and SambaNova announced a multi-year strategic collaboration combining SambaNova's AI systems with Intel CPUs, accelerators and networking technology.

Source: 2026-02-24 · reviewed 2026-09-20

Evidence: Primary-source statement · Announced

Limits: This confirms Intel's stated investment and planned technology collaboration as of February 2026; it does not disclose Intel's exact ownership stake or prove the joint Intel-powered AI cloud has since launched commercially.

SambaNova Unveils Fastest Chip for Agentic AI, Collaborates with Intel, and Raises $350M+ ↗
SambaNova Systems supplies AI chips to SoftBank Group
Partners withDated / announced
SoftBank Corp., the Japanese telecom subsidiary of SoftBank Group, agreed to be the first customer to deploy SambaNova's new SN50 chip in its next-generation AI data centers in Japan, as announced in February 2026.

Source: 2026-02-24 · reviewed 2026-09-20

Evidence: Primary-source statement · Announced

Limits: This is a deployment agreement specifically with SoftBank Corp. (the operating telecom subsidiary), not confirmed as an investment or agreement by SoftBank Group's holding company or its Vision Fund; it does not disclose contract value or delivered volumes.

SambaNova Unveils Fastest Chip for Agentic AI, Collaborates with Intel, and Raises $350M+ ↗

Comparisons (3)

SambaNova Systems competes with Cerebras Systems
Competes withComparison only
SambaNova CEO Rodrigo Liang, discussing the company's $11 billion Series F valuation, is reported on-record distinguishing SambaNova's valuation as reflecting 'true market value' compared with competing firms, in an article that names Groq and Cerebras as the referenced peer valuations.

Source: 2026-07-08 · reviewed 2026-09-22

Evidence: Secondary reporting of an on-record executive statement · Ongoing market competition

Limits: The specific comparison to Cerebras is contextual framing by the reporter around an on-record CEO quote, not a direct quote naming Cerebras; does not establish relative market share or product performance differences.

SambaNova Secures $1B at $11B Valuation, Lands JPMorgan Chase as Inference Partner ↗
SambaNova Systems competes with in AI chips NVIDIA
Competes withComparison only
Coverage of SambaNova's February 2026 funding and new chip described the company as stepping up its challenge to Nvidia in AI hardware.

Source: 2026-02-24 · reviewed 2026-09-20

Evidence: Analytical comparison · Reported operating

Limits: This reflects journalists' framing of SambaNova as a Nvidia challenger; it does not prove SambaNova has won specific Nvidia customers or matches Nvidia's scale.

SambaNova steps up its challenge to Nvidia with new chip, $350M funding and a powerful ally in Intel ↗
Groq competing as alternative AI inference chip and cloud providers SambaNova Systems
Competes withComparison only
Groq and SambaNova both market purpose-built chip architectures and inference services positioned as faster or more efficient alternatives to GPU-based AI inference, and are commonly grouped together as NVIDIA challengers.

Source: 2025-10-21 · reviewed 2026-09-20

Evidence: Analytical comparison · Ongoing market competition in the AI inference hardware/cloud segment

Limits: Reflects a category overlap in inference-chip and inference-cloud positioning; does not reflect market share, head-to-head customer wins, or financial performance.

Cerebras, Groq And SambaNova Line Up To Compete With Nvidia ↗

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Inclusion in this database is not an endorsement of a company or its securities. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell anything, and none of it is individualized investment advice. See the disclosures. Data: AI Map v3.22, released .