Intel is preparing to invest an additional $15 million in AI chip startup SambaNova Systems, reinforcing its commitment to expanding its presence in the rapidly growing artificial intelligence hardware market. The proposed investment, subject to regulatory approval, would increase Intel’s ownership stake in the company to approximately 9%.
The latest move follows an earlier $35 million investment made in February 2026, which had already increased Intel’s stake from 6.8% to 8.2%. The continued financial backing highlights Intel’s strategy of supporting emerging AI chipmakers as it looks to compete more aggressively in a sector currently dominated by rivals such as Nvidia.
SambaNova, founded in 2017, focuses on developing AI chips and full-stack platforms optimized for inference computing, which powers real-time decision-making in applications such as chatbots and enterprise AI systems. The company has been shifting its focus toward this segment as demand for efficient and scalable AI inference solutions continues to grow globally.
The investment also builds on a broader strategic collaboration between Intel and SambaNova, announced earlier in 2026, to develop high-performance and cost-efficient AI inference solutions. The partnership combines Intel’s hardware ecosystem, including its Xeon processors, with SambaNova’s AI platforms to address the growing need for scalable data centre infrastructure.
However, the deal has drawn attention due to governance considerations, as Intel’s CEO Lip-Bu Tan also serves as chairman of SambaNova. While this overlap has raised potential conflict-of-interest concerns among analysts, Intel has stated that it maintains strict governance and oversight policies to ensure all decisions are made in the best interests of shareholders.
Despite facing challenges in recent years, including layoffs and stalled acquisition talks, SambaNova has reported a strong performance in 2025 and is repositioning itself to capitalize on the expanding AI infrastructure market. With continued backing from Intel and other investors, the company is aiming to play a larger role in the evolving AI chip ecosystem.
