SambaNova Systems just closed a $1 billion funding round that values the company at $11 billion, a staggering leap for a startup that was worth roughly half that just a few years ago. The raise lands the AI chip maker squarely in the conversation alongside the handful of companies trying to challenge Nvidia’s dominance in AI hardware.
Inside the round and what it signals
The fundraise reportedly targeted between $800 million and $1 billion, ultimately landing at the top end.
SambaNova completed a roughly $350 million Series E just months earlier, in February 2026. That round was led by Vista Equity Partners and Cambium Capital, with Intel contributing approximately $100 million. Intel’s involvement is worth noting given that the two companies previously explored acquisition talks that ultimately stalled.
The new round pushes SambaNova’s total funding well past the $1.4 billion mark it had already accumulated. For context, the company raised a $676 million Series D back in 2021 at a $5.1 billion valuation. Going from $5.1 billion to $11 billion in a few years is the kind of trajectory that makes venture capitalists very happy and competitors very nervous.
