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Nvidia backs Indian startup helping companies run AI models with fewer GPUs

AI2 min read

Nvidia, the top maker of AI chips, has backed Simplismart, a small Indian startup. Simplismart sells software that helps companies run AI models well with fewer GPUs.

What happened

Nvidia joined a $14 million funding round for Simplismart, a startup in Bengaluru, India. Dallas Venture Capital led the round. The deal values the four-year-old company at about $100 million. Simplismart's software helps companies run AI models faster, cheaper, or with fewer GPUs. A GPU is a special computer chip that powers AI.

Key numbers and facts

  • $14 million: size of the Series B funding round
  • About $100 million: the company's value, including the new money
  • 56%: how much Simplismart helped InVideo cut its GPU serving costs
  • 14-fold: growth of Simplismart's annualized revenue run rate over six months
  • More than half: share of Simplismart's revenue that comes from the U.S.

What the software does

Running an AI model is not simple. Each job needs a different mix of speed, cost, and performance. Simplismart's software sits between the AI model and the computer hardware. It adjusts how the model runs so it responds quickly, handles many requests, and uses less computing power. Companies can use it on Simplismart's platform or on their own cloud or on-site servers. Customers include the AI video firms InVideo, HeyGen, and Higgsfield, and the Indian cloud provider Yotta.

Why it matters

AI demand is pushing up the need for computing power, and GPUs are expensive. Software that gets more work from the same chips can save companies a lot of money. It is also an interesting story because Nvidia sells the chips that this software can help customers use less of. Nvidia's CEO-style argument, as told by Simplismart's founder, is that cheaper AI could bring in more customers for Nvidia over time. Simplismart faces tough competition from Nvidia, large cloud companies such as Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, and many other startups.

What to watch

  • How well Simplismart keeps growing its revenue and customer base
  • Whether more cloud providers start using its software to run their own AI services
  • How Nvidia's work with Simplismart on tools such as Dynamo develops
  • How Simplismart competes with Nvidia, big cloud companies, and other startups

Glossary

Simplismart
A Bengaluru startup whose software helps companies run AI models more efficiently.
GPU
A powerful computer chip that is often used to run and train AI models.
Series B
A later round of funding in which a startup raises money from investors to grow.
Dynamo
Nvidia's software for running AI models (inference) efficiently.

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