Overview
- The agreement, reported by WIRED and described as non-binding, could still be dissolved and may take weeks or months to clear review processes.
- SambaNova declined to comment, and Intel had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
- Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan serves as SambaNova’s chairman and Intel Capital is an investor in the startup, circumstances that governance experts say warrant extra review, according to recent reporting.
- SambaNova builds an AI inference platform and had raised about $1.14 billion by early 2025, while its implied valuation has fallen since 2021, including a 17 percent markdown reported by BlackRock.
- The prospective deal fits Tan’s AI-first push and Intel’s broader restructuring, which includes carving out Intel Capital and deploying fresh U.S. government funding.