Semiconductor titan Nvidia is preparing one of its largest bets yet on artificial intelligence, with plans to pour up to $1 billion into Poolside, a fast-rising Paris startup revolutionizing software development.
The move, first reported by Bloomberg on October 30, underscores Nvidia’s aggressive push to back AI innovators that amplify demand for its cutting-edge chips. Poolside, already a prior investment target, stands to see its valuation quadruple to $12 billion in a blockbuster $2 billion funding round.
Funding Breakdown: From $500 Million Anchor to Billion-Dollar Milestone
Nvidia’s commitment kicks off with an initial $500 million infusion, scaling to $1 billion contingent on Poolside hitting its fundraising milestones. The round has already locked in over $1 billion in pledges, signaling robust investor appetite.
- Round Size: $2 billion at a pre-money $12 billion valuation
- Valuation Jump: From $3 billion post-Series B in October 2024
- Prior Backing: Nvidia joined Poolside’s $500 million Series B, led by Bain Capital Ventures
Portions of the fresh capital will flow directly to Nvidia’s Blackwell GB300 GPUs, cementing a symbiotic relationship where Poolside’s AI models supercharge demand for Nvidia’s hardware.
Neither company has commented publicly, but sources close to the talks describe it as a strategic alignment in the race for AI supremacy.
Poolside: Masters of AI-Driven Code Creation
Co-founded by industry veterans Jason Warner, former GitHub CTO and current Poolside CEO, and Eiso Kant, the company crafts foundation models and agentic systems tailored for software engineering. Its platform delivers intelligence straight into developers’ workflows—from IDE extensions to terminal commands—handling everything from code generation to full project orchestration.
Poolside’s edge lies in domain-specific AI that reasons like humans: understanding vast codebases, planning multistep tasks, and executing in secure sandboxes. Deployable on-premises or in air-gapped environments, it appeals to enterprises demanding governance and speed. The firm’s mission? Harness AGI to spark abundance, starting with the trillion-dollar software economy.
Project Horizon: A 2GW Power Play in Texas
Fresh off the funding buzz, Poolside’s ambitions extend far beyond models. In mid-October, it unveiled Project Horizon, a colossal 2-gigawatt AI campus in West Texas’ Permian Basin. Spanning 568 acres at Longfellow Ranch, the site taps cheap natural gas for behind-the-meter power, sidestepping grid bottlenecks.
Key Specs and Timeline:
| Phase | Capacity | Timeline | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial (CoreWeave Anchor) | 250 MW | Q1 2027 | 15-year lease; immediate GPU ramp |
| Full Build | 2 GW (8 phases) | Ongoing | Modular aero-derivative turbines, air cooling |
| GPU Deployment | 40,000+ GB300 NVL72 | Dec 2025 start | Via CoreWeave partnership |
CoreWeave, a Nvidia darling, anchors the first phase and supplies the frontier-scale cluster for Poolside’s training. This vertical integration—”own your infrastructure or forfeit your destiny,” as Warner puts it—promises low-latency AI that outpaces API-dependent rivals like Cursor or Cognition.
Nvidia’s Broader AI Empire Building
This isn’t Nvidia’s first rodeo. CEO Jensen Huang’s firm has seeded stakes in Wayve (self-driving), Intel collaboration ($5 billion), and now Poolside, all designed to lock in GPU ecosystems. Fresh from eclipsing $5 trillion market cap, Nvidia boasts $500 billion in AI chip orders and “AI factories” for the U.S. Energy Department.
For Poolside, Nvidia’s war chest validates its full-stack vision: energy, silicon, intelligence. In an industry shifting to owned infra, this duo could redefine developer tools.
Stock Whisper: Modest Lift for NVDA Shares
Investors gave a thumbs-up, nudging Nvidia shares up 0.53% intraday Friday amid broader market chop. Analysts maintain a Strong Buy, eyeing 15% upside to $233. Year-to-date gains top 50%, fueled by unrelenting AI hunger.
The AI Coding Frontier Awaits
As Poolside scales its Texas behemoth and Nvidia doubles down, the duo heralds a new era where AI doesn’t just assist coders—it architects software at warp speed. In a field where latency kills productivity, vertical control could crown victors. Watch this space: the code-writing revolution is powering up.
