Samsung leads a $230 million funding round for an Nvidia GPU alternative as demand for inference chips accelerates.

Samsung has invested in Dutch AI chipmaker Euclyd through a $231 million funding round, capitalizing on a surge in investment targeting alternatives to Nvidia’s graphic processing units. The startup’s 200-million-euro Series A was co-led by Somerset Capital Partners, the Scaleup Europe Fund managed by EQT, and Innovation Industries, alongside Samsung.

Founded in 2024, Euclyd is designing an AI chip system that diverges from traditional GPU architecture, specifically tailored for inference workloads across both processor and memory design. Nvidia’s GPUs—originally built for gaming—were repurposed for training and using AI models, a process known as inference, propelling the company to become the world’s most valuable firm. Its near-monopoly over the highest-end chips has prompted hyperscalers and startups alike to pursue custom silicon solutions. Major players including OpenAI, Google, AWS, and Meta are all advancing their own AI chip initiatives; OpenAI notably announced its first chip, Jalapeño, in August, claiming “industry-leading speed and efficiency.”

Despite the growing market interest, Euclyd’s systems have yet to be validated at scale in commercial deployments. Nevertheless, the company states that its silicon architectures for foundational models will significantly lower the energy consumption and operational costs of AI data centers, a sector currently experiencing a funding boom. “AI is becoming a foundation of economic growth, scientific discovery and national competitiveness, but its potential will remain constrained unless we fundamentally change the infrastructure beneath it,” CEO Bernardo Kastrup told CNBC.

Euclyd plans to generate revenue through two primary channels: selling hardware and complete rack systems to enterprises seeking secure, self-hosted AI inference, and licensing its intellectual property to firms looking to build custom chips using established technology. Kastrup emphasized that Samsung’s involvement extends beyond capital. “Samsung can help us in more ways than money,” he said. “They are one of the biggest memory manufacturers in the world. They do a lot of engineering, they know a lot about systems, they know the supply chain, they have a huge network.”

Looking ahead, Euclyd aims to begin deploying its physical chip systems in 2028, with plans to serve thousands of enterprise customers by 2030.