The funding may propel the company to become a significant challenger in the competitive AI chip market.
The funding round, led by Samsung Securities and AFW Partners, values Tenstorrent at more than US$2.6 billion. Notable investors include Jeff Bezos’ Bezos Expeditions, Hyundai, and other strategic partners.
Jim Keller, Tenstorrent’s CEO and renowned microprocessor engineer, outlined ambitious plans for the company. He told Bloomberg the startup intends to release a new AI processor every two years and has already secured customer contracts approaching US$150 million.
Tenstorrent will use the capital to expand its engineering team and develop AI training servers that demonstrate its technological capabilities. The company, founded in 2016, is part of a growing ecosystem of startups seeking to compete with Nvidia’s dominant market position in AI chips.
The investment signals continued investor confidence in AI hardware innovation, with high-profile backers like Bezos indicating the strategic importance of next-generation semiconductor technologies.
For businesses in the tech ecosystem, this funding round highlights the ongoing investment and competitive dynamics in AI chip development, suggesting potential future diversification of AI hardware solutions.
