Finance
AI chip startup SambaNova raises $350 million in Vista-led round, signs Intel partnership
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 24, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 24, 2026
Quick Summary
SambaNova raised $350M led by Vista and Cambium, with Intel Capital joining. The startup also signed a multi-year Intel deal to scale SN50 inference chips; SoftBank will be an early deployer in Japan.
SambaNova raises $350M led by Vista, seals multi‑year Intel pact
Funding, Intel tie‑up and SN50 rollout
Feb 24 (Reuters) - SambaNova Systems said on Tuesday it has raised $350 million in a new funding round and struck a partnership with Intel as it seeks to capitalise on surging demand for inference chips used in artificial intelligence applications.
Investor interest in inference chips
Inference chips, which run AI models and power real-time decisions, have attracted intense investor interest following a wave of dealmaking around rivals to Nvidia, as AI companies seek faster and more efficient hardware.
Round leaders and participating investors
Private equity firm Vista Equity Partners and Cambium Capital led the round, which also included Intel's investment arm, Intel Capital, SambaNova said on Tuesday, confirming a Reuters exclusive reported earlier this month.
Use of proceeds and SN50 deployment
The proceeds will fund expansion of SambaNova's new SN50 AI chip, scale its SambaCloud platform and deepen enterprise software integrations. SoftBank Corp will be the first customer to deploy the SN50 chip within its AI data centres in Japan.
Details of the Intel collaboration
SambaNova and Intel also signed a multi-year agreement to deliver cost-effective AI inference solutions for AI-native companies, complementing Intel's existing data centre GPU commitments.
Vista’s move beyond enterprise software
The investment marks a rare foray by Vista beyond its traditional focus on enterprise software.
Context: stalled acquisition talks
The funding comes after acquisition talks between SambaNova and Intel stalled. Intel, whose chief executive Lip-Bu Tan also serves as SambaNova's executive chairman, had previously discussed acquiring the startup for roughly $1.6 billion, including debt, Reuters has reported.
Byline and editing credits
(Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
Key Takeaways
- •SambaNova raised $350 million, led by Vista Equity Partners and Cambium Capital, with Intel Capital participating.
- •SambaNova and Intel signed a multi-year collaboration to deliver cost‑effective AI inference solutions.
- •Funds will scale the SN50 AI chip, expand SambaCloud and deepen enterprise software integrations.
- •SoftBank will be the first to deploy SN50 in AI data centers in Japan.
- •The raise follows stalled Intel–SambaNova acquisition talks reportedly valued around $1.6 billion.
Frequently Asked Questions about AI chip startup SambaNova raises $350 million in Vista-led round, signs Intel partnership
1What is the main topic?
SambaNova secured $350M in new funding and signed a multi‑year Intel partnership to accelerate AI inference adoption, focusing on the SN50 chip and its cloud platform. (intelcapital.com)
2Who led the funding and which investors participated?
The round was led by Vista Equity Partners and Cambium Capital, with Intel Capital participating alongside other investors. (finance.yahoo.com)
3What does the Intel partnership entail?
SambaNova and Intel agreed to a multi‑year collaboration featuring co‑selling and co‑marketing to deliver cost‑effective, cloud‑scale AI inference solutions. (intelcapital.com)
4Who will deploy the SN50 first and when?
SoftBank Corp will be an early customer, with SN50 shipments and deployments expected later this year in Japan’s AI data centers. (theregister.com)
5Were there acquisition talks between Intel and SambaNova?
Yes. Prior acquisition discussions reportedly stalled after considering a deal around $1.6B including debt, preceding this funding and partnership. (investing.com)
