Could Nebius Group Be a Sleeper Growth Pick?

Core Insights - Nebius Group is positioned as a key player in the AI infrastructure sector, focusing on providing infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) to support AI applications [3][8] - The company operates four segments, with its core business being IaaS, and has three subsidiaries involved in autonomous vehicles, data services for AI, and educational software [4][3] - Nebius is experiencing significant growth potential, with management projecting an annual recurring revenue (ARR) run rate increase from $249 million to between $750 million and $1 billion by year-end [8][9] Industry Context - Major cloud hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet are investing heavily in AI, with over $300 billion expected to be spent on AI capital expenditures this year [2][9] - The overall infrastructure spending in the AI sector is forecasted to reach $6.7 trillion by the next decade, indicating strong long-term growth prospects for companies like Nebius [9] Company Strategy - Nebius is expanding its data center footprint with new projects in locations such as Iceland, Kansas City, and New Jersey, which will be equipped with advanced GPU architectures from Nvidia [8][9] - The company has established partnerships with Nvidia, allowing it to offer a variety of GPU architectures to its customers, enhancing its competitive position in the market [7][3] Market Position - Nebius is currently overshadowed by larger competitors like CoreWeave, which has a higher market capitalization and is gaining traction in the AI cloud infrastructure space [14][13] - Despite the competitive landscape, Nebius is seen as an under-the-radar opportunity for growth investors, with potential for strategic partnerships and deals in the AI sector [15][14]