半导体行业观察·2026-02-07 03:31Group 1 - Vista Equity Partners is leading a new funding round of over $350 million for AI chip startup SambaNova Systems, marking a rare deviation from its traditional focus on enterprise software [2][3] - The funding round includes participation from existing supporter Intel, which plans to invest approximately $100 million, with a potential commitment of up to $150 million [2] - SambaNova is seeking funds to compete with market leader Nvidia and meet the growing demand for inference chips used in AI applications [2][3] Group 2 - Vista's investment in an AI chip startup is a notable shift for a firm that typically invests in enterprise software companies, having previously acquired Citrix Systems and Nexthink [3] - The software sector has faced pressure recently, with a sell-off erasing nearly $1 trillion in market value as investors reassess valuations amid AI's disruptive potential [3] - AI chip manufacturer Cerebras Systems raised $1 billion in a funding round, achieving a valuation of $23 billion, indicating increased interest in AI hardware [3] Group 3 - Discussions for Intel to acquire SambaNova for approximately $1.6 billion had stalled prior to this investment [5] - SambaNova was valued at $5 billion in a funding round led by SoftBank's Vision Fund in 2021, but has faced challenges and layoffs in 2024 [5] - The company has raised over $1 billion from investors since its inception in 2017 and has shifted its focus to AI inference and cloud services [5]