NVIDIA Plans to Acquire Israeli AI Startup AI21 Labs for Up to $3 Billion

Recently, there have been reports that NVIDIA is holding in-depth negotiations with Israeli AI startup AI21 Labs, with the expected acquisition amount reaching up to $3 billion. This news was first reported by the Israeli financial newspaper Calcalist. NVIDIA's core interest lies in AI21 Labs' top-notch technical team of about 200 people, who possess rare expertise in the field of artificial intelligence.

AI21 Labs was founded in 2017 by Amnon Shashua and others. The company has attracted significant attention from venture capital investors due to its innovations in AI. In a funding round in 2023, AI21 Labs reached a valuation of $1.4 billion. Notably, both NVIDIA and Google participated in this funding round.

The negotiations for this acquisition have made significant progress in recent weeks, as AI21 Labs had previously expressed interest in selling. NVIDIA's interest in acquiring AI21 Labs mainly aims to absorb its technical team to enhance its competitiveness in the field of artificial intelligence. At the same time, NVIDIA is also planning to significantly expand its operations in Israel, with a new R&D park in the south of Haifa city designed to accommodate up to 10,000 employees.

It is reported that the design of this new R&D park is inspired by NVIDIA's headquarters in Santa Clara, California, USA. The total area of the entire park will reach 160,000 square meters, including office areas and public spaces. The project is expected to start construction in 2027, with the goal of having the first employees move in by 2031.

NVIDIA's current market value has exceeded $4 trillion, making it one of the companies with the highest market value in the world. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang once referred to Israel as the company's "second hometown," and this acquisition and expansion plan further demonstrates NVIDIA's emphasis on the Israeli market.

Key Points:

- 💰 NVIDIA is negotiating the acquisition of AI21 Labs, with the maximum amount reaching $3 billion.

- 🧑‍💻 AI21 Labs has a top technical team of about 200 people, which has generated great interest from NVIDIA.

- 🏢 NVIDIA plans to expand its operations in Israel, building a new R&D park designed to accommodate 10,000 employees.