Nvidia, the world's leading high-performance GPU maker, has significantly increased its investments in AI startups, participating in 49 funding rounds in 2024 alone. This surge in investment is a dramatic shift from the previous four years, during which Nvidia funded only 38 AI deals. The chip giant's venture capital activity has been on the rise since the introduction of ChatGPT over two years ago, with its revenue, profitability, and cash reserves skyrocketing.

Nvidia's goal is to expand the AI ecosystem by backing startups it considers "game changers and market makers." The company's investments exclude those made by its formal corporate VC fund, NVentures, which also significantly ramped up its investing in the last two years. According to PitchBook data, NVentures engaged in 24 deals in 2024, compared to just 2 in 2022. In 2025, Nvidia has already participated in seven funding rounds.

A list of startups that raised rounds exceeding $100 million, where Nvidia is a named participant, reveals the chipmaker's strategic investments. Notable investments include OpenAI, xAI, Inflection, Wayve, Scale AI, and more. These startups are working on various AI applications, such as generative AI models, autonomous driving, data-labeling services, and AI cloud computing.

The billion-dollar-round club includes OpenAI, which Nvidia backed for the first time in October, reportedly writing a $100 million check toward a colossal $6.6 billion round that valued the company at $157 billion. xAI, founded by Elon Musk, also received Nvidia's investment in a $6 billion round. Inflection, one of Nvidia's first significant AI investments, had an unusual outcome, with Microsoft hiring its founders and paying $620 million for a non-exclusive technology license.

Other notable investments include Wayve, which is developing a self-learning system for autonomous driving, and Scale AI, which provides data-labeling services to companies for training AI models. The round valued Scale AI at nearly $14 billion. Nvidia also participated in funding rounds for Crusoe, Figure AI, Mistral AI, Lambda, Cohere, Perplexity, Poolside, CoreWeave, Together AI, Sakana AI, Imbue, Waabi, Ayar Labs, Kore.ai, Hippocratic AI, Weka, Runway, Bright Machines, and Enfabrica.

Nvidia's aggressive investment strategy in AI startups demonstrates its commitment to expanding the AI ecosystem and solidifying its position as a leader in the field. As the AI revolution continues to gain momentum, Nvidia's investments are likely to have a significant impact on the development of AI technologies and applications.

The surge in Nvidia's venture capital activity also highlights the company's ability to capitalize on the AI revolution, with its revenue, profitability, and cash reserves skyrocketing since the introduction of ChatGPT. As the AI market continues to grow, Nvidia's investments are likely to play a crucial role in shaping the future of AI.

In conclusion, Nvidia's significant investments in AI startups demonstrate its commitment to expanding the AI ecosystem and solidifying its position as a leader in the field. With its venture capital activity on the rise, Nvidia is poised to play a crucial role in shaping the future of AI.