Core Insights - A 23-year-old former OpenAI employee, Leopold Aschenbrenner, is preparing to lead a $700 million funding round for Fluidstack, a cloud computing startup that provides computing power to OpenAI's competitors, with Google also considering participation [1][3][4] - Fluidstack's valuation is expected to reach $7 billion post-funding, reflecting the growing demand for AI infrastructure [3][4] - The company has secured significant contracts, including a $50 billion data center partnership with Anthropic, indicating its pivotal role in the AI arms race [4][14] Company Overview - Fluidstack is a "Neocloud" company specializing in high-performance GPU computing for AI firms, with clients including Mistral AI and Character.AI [4][12] - The company was founded in 2017 and initially focused on renting out GPU power from gaming cafes and idle servers, generating $1.8 million in revenue in 2022 [12] - Following the AI boom, Fluidstack's annual recurring revenue (ARR) is projected to reach $180 million by the end of 2024, a 620% increase year-over-year [12] Investment Dynamics - Aschenbrenner's hedge fund, Situational Awareness LP, has raised over $1.5 billion and achieved a 47% return in the first half of 2025, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [8][9] - The fund's strategy includes investing in companies benefiting from AI infrastructure while shorting industries likely to be disrupted by AI [9][10] - Fluidstack's rapid expansion includes a $10 billion memorandum with the French government to build a 1 GW AI supercomputer and significant contracts with TeraWulf and Cipher Mining [13][14] Competitive Landscape - The investment in Fluidstack reflects a broader trend of talent and resources shifting away from OpenAI, with former employees establishing competitive ventures [15] - Aschenbrenner's unique background as a former OpenAI researcher positions him as a key player in the evolving AI landscape, drawing comparisons to historical figures who identified market opportunities ahead of the curve [9][15] - The reliance of new cloud companies like Fluidstack on a few major clients raises concerns about potential valuation bubbles in the sector [14]
被OpenAI开除的年轻人投资了一家为OpenAI对手提供算力的初创
Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-12-09 10:06