Nvidia reportedly in talks to acquire AI start-up AI21 Labs for up to $3 billion

Nvidia is reportedly in advanced negotiations to acquire Israeli AI start-up AI21 Labs, according to a report by Calcalist. The deal could be worth between two and three billion dollars. AI21 was valued at $1.4 billion during its last funding round in 2023, with both Google and Nvidia among its investors.

Similar to its recent Groq deal, Nvidia appears primarily interested in AI21's workforce. The company employs around 200 people, most of whom hold advanced degrees and have rare expertise in AI development. At the reported deal value, Nvidia would be paying roughly $10 to $15 million per employee.

AI21, based in Tel Aviv, was founded in 2017 by Professor Amnon Shashua, Professor Yoav Shoham, and Ori Goshen. The company builds large language models and offers software tools, including an agent builder. Its products target enterprise customers, with estimated annual revenue of around $50 million.