Venture capital firm Benchmark has raised US$225 million in special-purpose funds to deepen its investment in Cerebras Systems, the artificial intelligence chipmaker positioned as a rival to Nvidia.
Benchmark, which first backed Cerebras in 2016, is using the new capital to increase its exposure as the company accelerates development and deployment of its large-scale AI hardware. The move underscores growing investor confidence in alternative AI chip architectures amid surging global demand for computing power driven by generative AI.
Cerebras is best known for its wafer-scale engine, one of the largest computer chips ever built, designed to train large AI models faster and more efficiently than conventional GPU-based systems. The company has attracted attention from enterprise customers, research institutions, and governments seeking high-performance AI infrastructure.
The latest Benchmark funding comes as Cerebras pushes toward a broader commercial rollout and follows reports that the company has raised close to US$1 billion in total funding to date. The substantial capital backing highlights intensifying competition in the AI semiconductor market, where investors are betting on challengers to Nvidia’s dominance.
Benchmark’s decision to create special funds specifically for Cerebras reflects a wider trend among top-tier venture firms to concentrate capital in high-conviction AI bets, particularly in companies building foundational infrastructure for the next phase of artificial intelligence growth.
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