SambaNova Raises $1B at $11B Valuation: AI Chip Startup Accelerates Race

California-based startup SambaNova Systems, specializing in AI-optimized chip development, has completed its Series F funding round, raising $1 billion. The company's valuation surged to $11 billion—nearly triple the previous round ($350 million in February 2026). The round was led by General Atlantic, with strategic partners including Intel, BlackRock, and Qatar Investment Authority.

SambaNova is deepening its collaboration with Intel, jointly developing products based on Xeon processors. This partnership combines Intel's scale with the startup's technological advancements. Additionally, SambaNova announced a deal with JPMorgan Chase, which selected its SN40L and SN50 chips to deploy secure AI solutions on its proprietary infrastructure. This move highlights the growing demand for heterogeneous computing platforms among major corporations.

The company positions itself as a leader in premium inference, capable of processing trillion-parameter models on a single rack. Its next-generation SN50 chips will begin shipping to customers in late 2026, with SoftBank as the first partner. SambaNova's target markets include sovereign clouds, neo-cloud platforms, and enterprise infrastructures where data security is critical.

Proceeds will expand production and strengthen the supply chain. According to CEO Rodrigo Liang, AI chip demand is growing so rapidly that the company must pre-reserve components to fulfill orders over the next 12 months. Despite interest from potential buyers, including past negotiations with Intel, SambaNova has not ruled out an IPO in the future.