Funding & Deals

Qualcomm Buys Buzzy Chip Startup Modular for Nearly $4 Billion

Modular, one of the most promising chip software startups of the AI era, heads for a multibillion-dollar exit.

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Qualcomm is acquiring a chip software startup for nearly $4 billion, completing a deal announced on Wednesday. The startup makes a software platform and coding language that allows developers to write AI software for different chips without rewriting code for each one, addressing a problem that previously required separate software systems. This acquisition reflects Qualcomm's effort to expand beyond its traditional mobile device chip business into new markets like AI gadgets and data centers. The startup's founders previously worked on Google's chip projects and had built their company to compete with established software systems from larger chipmakers, before ultimately being acquired by one of them.

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Anthropic sets IPO price range of $70 to $78 per share to reach an implied valuation of $1.404 trillion

The company could end up being worth a hefty $1.404 trillion if its shares list at the top of the price range, on a fully diluted basis.

Also reported by SiliconANGLE

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Anthropic pushes ahead with pre-Thanksgiving IPO despite tech selloff, accepts lower valuation

Despite the tech selloff, Anthropic is pressing ahead with its IPO at a valuation of $1.25 to $1.75 trillion, well below the hoped-for $2 trillion. The Claude developer aims to raise $80 to $100 billion before Thanksgiving. Rival OpenAI has also recently had to cut its valuation. The article Anthropic pushes ahead with pre-Thanksgiving IPO despite tech selloff, accepts lower valuation appeared first on The Decoder.

Also reported by TechCrunch and The Verge

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Taiwan’s chipmaking giant TSMC to invest $1B in Anthropic, OpenAI

Top chip manufacturer TSMC is ready to invest $1 billion in Anthropic and OpenAI. That would give the Taiwanese chipmaker direct stakes in leading AI developers, even as its own contract chipmaking business has profited enormously from the AI data center buildout. The chipmaker’s board approved plans to invest up to $500 million in OpenAI preferred stock reserved for large investors and another $500 million to purchase Anthropic common shares at the latter’s expected IPO price, according to Reut

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OpenAI lands an $11 billion funding round, but has to court dentists for more capital

OpenAI has secured $11 billion in fresh capital, the first tranche of a round that values the company at $1.25 trillion. The full round could swell to $20 billion. That OpenAI is already turning to wealthy private investors hints at a saturating AI capital market and growing investor caution. The article OpenAI lands an $11 billion funding round, but has to court dentists for more capital appeared first on The Decoder.

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Hatz AI raises $24M to help small businesses go AI-native through their MSPs

Large enterprises have emerged as the foremost adopters of artificial intelligence technology, and it’s giving them an unfair advantage over their smaller competitors. Looking to change that is a startup called Hatz AI Inc., which has just raised $24 million in early-stage funding to empower managed services providers with the tools they need to keep […] The post Hatz AI raises $24M to help small businesses go AI-native through their MSPs appeared first on SiliconANGLE.

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Anthropic Seeks Record $88.5B Tied To Public Market Debut

Anthropic is seeking to secure up to $88.5 billion in its planned IPO and a concurrent private placement, potentially making it the largest-ever fundraise tied to a public market debut. On Tuesday, the AI giant submitted an updated S-1 filing for its upcoming public offering, unveiling new details including a proposed share price range offering size. The offering could set a fully diluted valuation of up to $1.4 trillion for the San Francisco company. Anthropic’s expected valuation comes in belo