DOJ Probes Nvidia-Groq Licensing Deal Over Antitrust Concerns
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating Nvidia's licensing deal with Groq, focusing on whether it evades antitrust review. The investigation was launched shortly after the deal was announced in December 2025 and has formally requested information from Nvidia.
Groq and Nvidia signed a non-exclusive inference technology licensing agreement, which allowed key personnel to transfer to Nvidia. About 90% of Groq employees joined Nvidia, but neither party confirmed this percentage.
The DOJ is looking into whether the deal structure was intended to evade antitrust review applicable to traditional mergers and acquisitions. If the Department of Justice determines that Nvidia improperly handled the Groq transaction, it may seek fines.
Nvidia responded by stating that the Groq deal shows the US system working as intended to foster innovation, reward entrepreneurs, and benefit consumers.