AI chip startup Groq lands $640M to challenge Nvidia

Groq, a startup developing chips to run generative AI models faster than conventional processors, said on Monday that it’s raised $640 million in a new funding round led by Blackrock. Neuberger Berman, Type One Ventures, Cisco, KDDI and Samsung Catalyst Fund also participated. The tranche, which brings Groq’s total raised to over $1 billion and values the company at $2.8 billion, is a major win for Groq, which reportedly was originally looking to raise $300 million at a slightly lower ($2.5 billion) valuation. It more than doubles Groq’s previous valuation...