CoreWeave | North America Deepening the Alliance - CoreWeave & NVIDIA Expand Partnership Key Takeaways What Was Announced? CoreWeave announced a multi-pronged expansion of its partnership with NVIDIA (see here) focused on 1) accelerating the build out of an incremental >5 GW of AI infrastructure by 2030 (CoreWeave-specific forecast, with NVIDIA likely a very small portion), 2) accelerating CoreWeave's ability to obtain land, power and shells to build these AI factories, 3) adding a new dimension of software ...

Shares of Coreweave (CRWV) rose 9% during pre-market trading on Monday after AI powerhouse Nvidia (NVDA) invested another $2 billion in an effort to accelerate the company's buildout of next-generation data centers built specifically for AI workloads. The funding, which came through the purchase of CoreWeave’s Class A stock at $87.20 per share, will help the company scale up to more than 5 gigawatts of AI-dedicated data centers, or  “AI factories,” by the end of the decade. CRWV closed at $92.98 on Frid ...

Core Insights - CoreWeave, Inc. (CRWV) has seen its shares rise 119% over the past year, significantly outperforming the Zacks Internet-Software Market and other tech peers [2][8] - The company has secured multi-billion-dollar contracts with major players like OpenAI and Meta, pushing its revenue backlog to over $55 billion [5][10] - Despite strong growth, CRWV faces challenges such as supply chain constraints and rising debt, which could impact future performance [12][13] Company Performance - CRWV's stock has outperformed Microsoft (MSFT) and rival Nebius Group N.V. (NBIS), which rose 13.3% and 185.8% respectively during the same period [3][8] - The company has expanded its partnerships, including a new deal with OpenAI valued at up to $6.5 billion, bringing the total contract value with OpenAI to approximately $22.4 billion [5][8] - CRWV's revenue backlog has increased significantly, with strong ties to key players like NVIDIA, enhancing its AI cloud capabilities [6][10] Growth Strategy - CoreWeave is aggressively expanding its data centers, deploying hundreds of thousands of GPUs and adding significant power infrastructure to meet AI workload demands [10] - The company is pursuing vertical and horizontal growth through strategic acquisitions, including the recent agreement to acquire Monolith AI Limited [11] - CRWV's focus on high-performance AI cloud services is reinforced by its expansion of Mission Control, a unified operational standard for enterprise tech teams [9] Financial Outlook - The company has revised its 2025 revenue guidance down to $5.05–$5.15 billion due to supply delays, impacting its near-term performance [12] - Interest expenses are projected to rise to $1.21–$1.25 billion in 2025, reflecting the company's increasing debt levels to fund capital expenditures [13] - Despite these challenges, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for CRWV's earnings for 2025 has been revised upward by 1.4% over the past 60 days [17]

Core Insights - Nvidia's recent licensing agreement with Groq, a startup specializing in inference chips, signifies a strategic move to absorb potential competition and enhance its technological capabilities in the AI chip market [1][2][3] - The shift in focus from training to inference in AI chip competition highlights the urgency for Nvidia to secure its position against emerging threats from AMD and custom ASICs [2][5] - Groq's unique architecture emphasizes deterministic design and low latency, which aligns with the evolving demands of AI applications, making it a valuable asset for Nvidia [4][5][6] Group 1: Strategic Moves - Nvidia's acquisition of Groq's technology and key personnel represents a "hire-to-acquire" strategy, allowing it to integrate critical expertise without triggering regulatory concerns [1][2] - The deal occurs at a pivotal moment as the AI chip landscape transitions towards inference, where Groq's LPU architecture offers significant advantages [2][3] - Nvidia's historical pattern of acquisitions, such as Mellanox and Bright Computing, indicates a focus on building a robust defense against competitive threats rather than merely expanding its market presence [2][3] Group 2: Technological Implications - Groq's LPU architecture, which prioritizes predictable execution and low latency, contrasts with the dynamic scheduling typical of Nvidia's GPUs, highlighting a shift in system philosophy [3][4] - The transition of Groq towards inference-as-a-service reflects a growing market demand for low-latency solutions in sectors like finance and military applications [5][6] - Nvidia's strategy to control not just hardware but also the software and system layers, including workload management through acquisitions like SchedMD, positions it to dominate the AI ecosystem [7][8][19] Group 3: Market Dynamics - The competitive landscape is evolving, with a focus on system-level efficiency and cost-effectiveness, prompting Nvidia to adapt its offerings beyond just powerful GPUs [5][6][19] - Nvidia's integration of cluster management tools and workload schedulers into its AI Enterprise stack signifies a shift towards providing comprehensive system solutions rather than standalone products [8][19] - The emphasis on reducing migration costs and enhancing ecosystem stickiness suggests that Nvidia is not only selling hardware but also creating a tightly integrated AI infrastructure [19][20]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses NVIDIA's strategic acquisition of Groq, highlighting its implications for the AI chip market and NVIDIA's competitive positioning in the evolving landscape of AI inference technology [1][2][4]. Group 1: NVIDIA's Acquisition of Groq - NVIDIA's acquisition of Groq is characterized as a "recruitment-style acquisition," where key personnel and technology are absorbed without a formal takeover, allowing NVIDIA to mitigate potential competition [1][2]. - The timing of this acquisition is critical as the AI chip competition shifts from training to inference, with Groq's technology being particularly relevant for low-latency and performance certainty in inference tasks [2][4]. - Groq's founder, Jonathan Ross, is recognized for his pivotal role in developing Google's TPU, making Groq a significant player in the AI chip space [5]. Group 2: Shift in AI Focus - The focus of the AI industry is transitioning from sheer computational power (FLOPS) to efficiency and predictability in delivering inference results, which Groq's architecture emphasizes [4][7]. - Groq's LPU architecture, which utilizes deterministic design principles, contrasts with the dynamic scheduling typical in GPU architectures, highlighting a shift in system philosophy [5][6]. Group 3: Broader Strategic Implications - NVIDIA's acquisition strategy reflects a broader goal of consolidating control over the AI computing ecosystem, moving beyond hardware to encompass system-level capabilities [23][24]. - The integration of Groq, along with previous acquisitions like Bright Computing and SchedMD, illustrates NVIDIA's intent to dominate the entire AI computing stack, from resource scheduling to workload management [23][24]. - By controlling the execution paths and system complexity, NVIDIA aims to create a high barrier to entry for competitors, making it difficult for customers to switch to alternative solutions [24][25].

Core Insights - CoreWeave, Inc. (CRWV) is enhancing its position in the high-performance AI cloud market through the expansion of its Mission Control platform, which is designed for enterprise tech teams to manage large-scale AI workloads [1][2] - The latest updates to Mission Control include features such as Telemetry Relay, GPU Straggler Detection, and a new Mission Control Agent, which improve observability, troubleshooting, and compliance for enterprise applications [2][3] Mission Control Enhancements - Mission Control is integral to managing GPU fleets and system performance, with the new update providing tools for better visibility and reliability in AI workloads [2] - Telemetry Relay allows for direct streaming of audit and access logs into customer systems, while GPU Straggler Detection identifies performance bottlenecks in distributed training [2] - The Mission Control Agent offers real-time insights and actionable guidance, aiding teams in diagnosing issues quickly [3] Enterprise Adoption and Customer Base - CoreWeave is gaining traction with significant enterprise clients, including CrowdStrike for AI cybersecurity and Rakuten for visual language models [3] - The company has also expanded its customer base to include a top software design platform and a large U.S. telecommunications company [3] Supply Constraints and Revenue Outlook - CoreWeave is currently facing supply constraints, with demand exceeding capacity, leading to data-center delivery delays [4] - As a result, management has revised its 2025 revenue forecast to $5.05–$5.15 billion from $5.15–$5.35 billion, and adjusted operating income expectations to $690–$720 million from $800–$830 million [4] Competitive Landscape - Major competitors like Microsoft are expanding their AI capabilities significantly, with plans to increase AI capacity by over 80% in 2025 and expecting Azure revenue growth of about 37% [5] - Nebius Group N.V. is also targeting substantial growth, aiming for $7–$9 billion in annual recurring revenue by 2026, despite facing similar supply constraints [6] Stock Performance and Valuation - CoreWeave's shares have increased by 126.6% over the past year, significantly outperforming the Internet Software industry, which grew by only 2.6% [9] - The current Price/Book ratio for CRWV is 11.42X, notably higher than the industry average of 5.99X [10]

Investment Rating - The report assigns a positive investment rating, indicating an "Outperform" expectation for the company over the next 12-18 months [18]. Core Insights - The company's third-quarter performance for 2025 showed a revenue of $1.40 billion, a 134% year-over-year increase, significantly exceeding market expectations. Adjusted operating income was $217 million with a 16% margin, and adjusted EBITDA reached $838 million, more than double the previous year, with an EBITDA margin of 61% [1][6]. - The strong performance was driven by a tight supply-demand balance in AI cloud capacity, with continued partnerships with major clients like Meta and OpenAI, showcasing high customer retention [2][7]. - The company has accelerated its capacity expansion, increasing active power to approximately 590 MW and contracted power to 2.9 GW, while diversifying delivery risks through new data centers in the U.S. and Europe [3][8]. - Financially, the company optimized funding costs, achieving a quarterly capital expenditure of $1.9 billion and a cash balance of $3.0 billion, supported by approximately $14 billion in debt and equity financing [4][9]. Summary by Sections Financial Performance - Revenue for Q3 2025 was $1.40 billion, up 134% year-over-year, with adjusted EPS at -$0.22, and adjusted operating income of $217 million, reflecting a 16% margin. Adjusted EBITDA was $838 million, with a margin of 61% [1][6]. - Despite a GAAP net loss of $110 million, the adjusted net loss narrowed to $41 million, with operating expenses totaling $1.30 billion [1][6]. Business Drivers - The key driver for the quarter's outperformance was the expansion in volume due to a tight supply-demand balance for AI cloud capacity. The company maintained strong relationships with major clients, with 90% of the top 10 customers making repeat purchases [2][7]. - The company’s differentiated software solutions improved resource utilization and customer stickiness, enhancing its market reputation [2][7]. Capacity Expansion - The company significantly accelerated its capacity expansion, with active power rising to ~590 MW and contracted power increasing to 2.9 GW. It added eight new data centers in the U.S. and advanced European sites, adopting a dual-track model to mitigate delivery risks [3][8]. Financial Strategy - The company’s capital expenditures reached $1.9 billion, with a cash balance of $3.0 billion. It completed about $14 billion in financing, optimizing its debt maturity profile and reducing overall funding costs [4][9]. - The financing strategy included a new $3.0 billion facility with a lower interest rate, contributing to a favorable financial position for rapid expansion [4][9]. Future Outlook - For FY2025, the company guided revenue expectations of $5.05–5.15 billion and adjusted operating income of $690–720 million, with anticipated capital expenditures of $12–14 billion. The management expects capital expenditures in 2026 to exceed double that of 2025 [5][10].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - CoreWeave reported Q3 revenue of $1.4 billion, representing a 134% year-over-year increase [5][23] - Revenue backlog reached $55.6 billion, nearly doubling in the third quarter alone [5][23] - Adjusted operating income for Q3 was $217 million, compared to $125 million in Q3 of 2024, with an adjusted operating margin of 16% [24] - Net loss for Q3 was $110 million, an improvement from a $360 million net loss in Q3 of 2024 [25] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q3 was $838 million, more than double the $379 million in Q3 of 2024, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 61% [25] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - CoreWeave expanded its active power footprint by 120 megawatts sequentially to approximately 590 megawatts [6][7] - Contracted power capacity grew over 600 megawatts to 2.9 gigawatts [7][11] - The number of customers exceeding $100 million in revenue over the last 12 months tripled year-over-year [8] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - More than 60% of revenue backlog is tied to investment-grade customers, down from approximately 85% at the beginning of the year [23][81] - No single customer represents more than approximately 35% of revenue backlog, down from approximately 50% last quarter [23][81] Company Strategy and Development Direction - CoreWeave aims to diversify its customer base and reduce customer concentration, with significant growth in its revenue backlog [23][24] - The company is expanding its data center footprint and has launched CoreWeave Federal to serve U.S. government agencies [10][12] - Recent acquisitions, including OpenPipe, Merge, and Monolith, are intended to enhance CoreWeave's product offerings and market reach [17][18] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management highlighted the ongoing supply constraints in the industry and the need for strategic partnerships to manage infrastructure delivery [5][22] - The company expects continued robust demand for its services, with a revenue forecast for 2025 in the range of $5.05-$5.15 billion [30] - Management expressed confidence in the long-term trajectory of the business, emphasizing the importance of infrastructure investments [32] Other Important Information - CoreWeave's CapEx in Q3 totaled $1.9 billion, lower than anticipated due to delays from a third-party data center provider [25][26] - The company has secured $14 billion in debt and equity transactions year-to-date to support its growth [29] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you speak to the situation relating to the third-party provider? - Management acknowledged systemic challenges in supply chains affecting infrastructure delivery but emphasized efforts to diversify data center providers and mitigate delays [36][37] Question: How should we think about your infrastructure and the risk of overcapacity? - Management clarified that the infrastructure is fungible and designed to be flexible for various customer needs, ensuring effective use of resources [41][42] Question: How far are we away from reaching a point where disruptions do not affect revenue outlook? - Management indicated that as the company scales, the impact of individual data center delays will diminish, with significant capacity expected to come online in the next 12 to 24 months [47][48] Question: What is the uniqueness of CoreWeave's value proposition in the future? - Management highlighted the company's ability to deliver customized infrastructure quickly and effectively, maintaining a competitive edge in the market [49][50] Question: Can you provide clarity on CapEx and funding sources? - Management confirmed that the CapEx reduction was primarily due to delays from a single provider and emphasized exploring various financing options to support growth [64][68]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - CoreWeave reported Q3 2025 revenue of $1.4 billion, representing a 134% year-over-year increase [4][19] - Revenue backlog reached over $55 billion, nearly doubling in Q3 alone, and RPO reached $50 billion, the fastest growth in cloud history [4][19] - Operating expenses for Q3 were $1.3 billion, with an adjusted operating income of $217 million, up from $125 million in Q3 2024 [20] - Net loss for Q3 was $110 million, significantly improved from a $360 million loss in Q3 2024 [21] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q3 was $838 million, more than doubling from $379 million in Q3 2024, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 61% [21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - CoreWeave expanded its active power footprint by 120 megawatts to approximately 590 megawatts and contracted power capacity to 2.9 gigawatts [5][10] - The number of customers exceeding $100 million in revenue over the last 12 months tripled year-over-year, indicating a diversification of the revenue base [6] - The company executed large-scale compute contracts with major clients like Meta and OpenAI, enhancing customer relationships [5][6] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - CoreWeave's customer concentration decreased, with no single customer representing more than 35% of revenue backlog, down from 50% last quarter and 85% at the beginning of the year [19] - More than 60% of revenue backlog is tied to investment-grade customers, reflecting successful diversification efforts [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - CoreWeave aims to be the essential cloud for AI, focusing on scaling operations and diversifying its customer base across various sectors [4][17] - The company is expanding its data center footprint and has launched CoreWeave Federal to serve U.S. government agencies [8][10] - Recent acquisitions, including OpenPipe, Merge, and Monolith, are intended to enhance product offerings and market reach [15][16] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management highlighted the ongoing supply constraints in the industry and the need for strategic partnerships to navigate these challenges [4][30] - The company expects continued robust demand for its services, with 2025 revenue guidance set between $5.05 billion and $5.15 billion [25][26] - Management expressed confidence in the long-term growth trajectory, emphasizing the importance of infrastructure investments to support future demand [28][29] Other Important Information - CoreWeave's CapEx for Q3 totaled $1.9 billion, lower than anticipated due to delays from a third-party data center provider [21] - The company has secured $14 billion in debt and equity transactions year-to-date to support its growth ambitions [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you speak to the situation relating to the third-party provider? - Management acknowledged systemic challenges in supply chains affecting infrastructure delivery but emphasized efforts to diversify data center providers and manage operational components effectively [30][31][32] Question: How should we think about your infrastructure and the risk of overcapacity? - Management clarified that infrastructure is designed to be fungible, allowing flexibility in usage across different clients, which mitigates risks associated with overcapacity [36][37] Question: What are the implications of the delays on 2026? - Management indicated that the majority of delays are expected to be resolved by Q1 of next year, with a ramp-up in capacity anticipated [43][44] Question: How do you think about the pacing on contracting out the remaining capacity? - Management expressed confidence in the demand for infrastructure and the company's ability to allocate remaining capacity thoughtfully to meet customer needs [56][58] Question: Is there any IP that CoreWeave has that contributes to the build-out of these data centers? - Management stated that the company has built an organization capable of assisting with self-build efforts, embedding deeper into the supply chain to enhance delivery capabilities [59][60]

Core Viewpoint - CoreWeave, an AI infrastructure provider, has seen its shares increase by over 231% in 2025, indicating strong growth potential in the coming years [1] Industry Overview - Global demand for data center capacity is projected to increase from 82 gigawatts in 2025 to 219 gigawatts by 2030, a rise of nearly 2.7 times [2] - The compute capacity required for AI workloads is expected to grow from 44 gigawatts in 2025 to 156 gigawatts by 2030, nearly 3.5 times [2] Company Growth Strategy - CoreWeave is focused on expanding its data center capacity, ending Q2 2025 with 470 megawatts and planning to increase to 900 megawatts by the end of 2025 [4] - The company has expanded its contracted data center capacity from 600 megawatts to 2.2 gigawatts [4] - CoreWeave's revenue backlog reached $30.1 billion at the end of Q2 2025, up from $4 billion in the same quarter the previous year [6] Strategic Partnerships - CoreWeave has secured significant partnerships, including a $22.4 billion deal with OpenAI and a $14.2 billion agreement with Meta Platforms [8][9] - Microsoft accounted for 71% of CoreWeave's revenues in Q2 2025, highlighting the importance of this partnership [7] Vertical Integration and Acquisitions - The proposed $9 billion acquisition of Core Scientific aims to add 1.3 gigawatts of data center capacity to CoreWeave's portfolio [10] - The acquisition is expected to eliminate $10 billion in lease liabilities over the next 12 years [11] - CoreWeave has strengthened its software offerings by acquiring Weights & Biases, adding 1,600 new clients [12] Software Innovations - CoreWeave launched Serverless RL, a managed reinforcement learning service, which allows organizations to enhance AI agents without heavy investments [13] - The company is also improving its platform with tools like Mission Control and SUNK, enhancing user experience and customer loyalty [14] Financial Valuation - CoreWeave is currently trading at 18.7 times sales, which is considered high for an unprofitable company, but justified by its market opportunity [15] - Revenue projections suggest growth from $5.27 billion in fiscal 2025 to $18.09 billion by fiscal 2027, with some analysts estimating revenues could reach $25 billion by 2028 [16] - A conservative valuation adjustment could see market capitalization rise to between $235.2 billion and $271.3 billion by the end of fiscal 2027 [17]