Intel and Vista Equity Partners Spearhead $350M+ Investment in AI Chip Startup SambaNova
Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm, is leading a funding round that exceeds $350 million for AI chip startup SambaNova Systems. Intel is set to invest between $100 million and $150 million, as reported by sources familiar with the matter on February 6, 2026. This investment marks a significant shift for Vista Equity Partners, a firm that traditionally focuses exclusively on enterprise software companies.
Software stocks have recently faced significant pressure, with nearly $1 trillion wiped from global software share values this week. This is as investors reassess valuations amidst AI disruption. Meanwhile, interest in AI hardware has surged. Companies are seeking alternatives to Nvidia’s dominant GPUs for AI inference workloads. SambaNova competes in this space with its specialized inference chips designed to run AI applications efficiently.
The funding follows stalled acquisition talks between Intel and SambaNova. Intel had previously discussed buying the startup for approximately $1.6 billion, including debt. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan also serves as SambaNova’s executive chairman, highlighting the close relationship between the companies. SambaNova, which was valued at $5 billion in a 2021 funding round led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2, exceeded its 2025 sales goals and recently secured major data center contracts, including a sovereign cloud campus in Scotland.
Source: Yahoo Finance