U.S. chip-maker Intel Corporation is reportedly in early-stage talks to acquire AI-chip startup SambaNova Systems, according to sources cited by Bloomberg News. The potential acquisition would mark a strategic push for Intel into the growing artificial-intelligence hardware space, after previous efforts to roll out its own AI-GPU products lagged behind competitors.
SambaNova, which designs custom AI processors and systems, has been working with bankers to gauge interest from potential buyers. While the company achieved a valuation of around USD 5 billion in a 2021 funding round, any deal today would likely value it below that level. The discussions remain preliminary and there is no guarantee they will lead to a transaction.
Intel has longstanding ties to SambaNova: Intel’s venture arm, Intel Capital, is an investor in the startup, and former Intel executive and investor Lip‑Bu Tan serves as SambaNova’s executive chairman. Industry watchers view such a move as a way for Intel to accelerate its AI hardware roadmap and better compete in the data-centre and cloud-inference markets. The companies declined to comment on the report.