Nvidia(US:NVDA) 3 6 Ke·2025-04-21 11:45Core Insights - Lepton AI has announced that it will cease operations on May 20, 2025, advising users to back up their data before this date [1] - The official website has disabled new account registrations, indicating ongoing maintenance [4] - Lepton AI's official Twitter account has been deactivated [6] Acquisition Details - NVIDIA has completed the acquisition of Lepton AI for a deal valued at several hundred million dollars, with the founders joining NVIDIA [8] - The acquisition is seen as NVIDIA prioritizing talent over the continuation of Lepton AI's specific business operations, as the service is set to be shut down [8] - At the time of acquisition, Lepton AI had approximately 20 employees, with no updates on their future roles [9] Company Background - Lepton AI was founded less than two years ago by notable figures in the AI field, including Jia Yangqing and Bai Junjie, who have extensive experience in major tech companies [10] - The company focused on providing AI infrastructure rather than directly competing in the large model space, utilizing a rental model for GPU resources [10][18] - Lepton AI's services included a fully managed AI cloud platform, enterprise solutions, and a Python SDK for building AI applications [12][11] Market Context - The AI computing market is experiencing a surge in demand for rental computing power, with prices doubling over the past year [18] - North America and Europe dominate the rental computing market, with companies like CoreWeave and Nebius leading the way [18] - Lepton AI faced competition from NVIDIA's major clients, including AI cloud service providers [18] Strategic Implications for NVIDIA - The acquisition of Lepton AI is part of NVIDIA's strategy to achieve vertical integration, controlling the entire supply chain from chip design to rental services [19] - This strategy allows NVIDIA to mitigate common industry issues such as inventory backlog and enhances its competitive position against giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft [19][22] - NVIDIA aims to position itself as an AI infrastructure company, moving beyond just being a chip manufacturer [22]