From Observer, February 27:
Under Jensen Huang, Nvidia poured billions into OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI, deepening its grip on the global A.I. ecosystem.
Jensen Huang is best known for building the world’s dominant A.I. chipmaker. But as surging demand for GPUs has turned Nvidia into a $4.5 trillion powerhouse, the company has quietly expanded its influence far beyond hardware, pouring billions into startups across the A.I. ecosystem. Today, nearly every major player in the industry, from OpenAI to xAI, has some financial link to the Santa Clara, Calif.-based giant.
Over the past two decades, Nvidia has participated in 177 funding rounds, according to Crunchbase. Most of that activity has come since 2023, tracking the explosive rise of generative A.I. The tally does not include NVentures, Nvidia’s formal venture arm, which has made an additional 83 investments.
Many of Nvidia’s largest checks have gone to its own customers, raising questions about so-called circular funding arrangements that could artificially bolster perceptions of demand. Huang has dismissed that criticism, arguing that Nvidia’s contributions represent only a small fraction of the capital required by leading A.I. developers.
The pace is accelerating. In just the first two months of 2026, Nvidia has joined 11 funding rounds. They include a $1.5 billion raise by Wayve, the London-based robotaxi startup, and a $1 billion round for World Labs, the model-building venture founded by Fei-Fei Li. Most recently, Nvidia participated in a staggering $110 billion funding round unveiled by OpenAI.
Here are the 10 most notable A.I. startups backed by Nvidia:....
....MUCH MORE
