Nvidia Lands $7B Deal with Poolside to Boost Open-Source AI Efforts

Nvidia has reportedly struck a multi-billion-dollar deal with AI startup Poolside to license technology and recruit talent. The semiconductor giant is paying $6 billion to license AI models from Poolside and extending employment offers to more than 100 of the startup's workers.

The agreement aligns with Nvidia's broader push to promote open-source artificial intelligence systems and guarantee long-term demand for its hardware. As part of the transaction, Nvidia is also making a separate $1 billion investment in the startup, valuing Poolside at $12 billion before the new funding.

Nvidia has increasingly targeted open-source AI frameworks that let developers freely adapt and build on existing code-base models. By promoting accessible software, Nvidia hopes to prevent artificial intelligence technology from becoming concentrated among a select few tech conglomerates, while supplementing its own expanding ecosystem of software, data, and models.