NVIDIA Acquires Lepton AI for Hundreds of Millions to Bolster AI Cloud Services

NVIDIA has acquired Lepton AI, a Chinese AI startup specializing in GPU server rentals and cloud management software, for a sum reportedly in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The acquisition, finalized in early April 2025, aims to strengthen NVIDIA's cloud-based AI computing services. Lepton AI, founded in 2023, had secured $11 million in seed funding. The company leases servers powered by NVIDIA GPUs from cloud providers and rents them to its own customers. Co-founders Jia Yangqing, formerly Alibaba's Vice President of Technology, and Bai Junjie, both with AI research experience at Meta Platforms, have reportedly joined NVIDIA along with approximately 20 Lepton AI employees. Industry analysts suggest that Lepton AI's technology may be integrated into NVIDIA's DGX Cloud or other cloud service product lines. This acquisition reflects NVIDIA's strategy to expand its AI ecosystem and compete with cloud providers developing their own AI chips. By acquiring Lepton AI, NVIDIA gains valuable expertise in GPU server rentals and AI software development, potentially offering customers more flexible and efficient AI development tools.