Nvidia commits $40B to AI equity deals in 2026

Samsung Group plans to announce an investment package exceeding 1,000 trillion won ($648 billion) next week, marking a record pledge focused on semiconductors, AI data centers, batteries, and display technology. The investment represents a major capital commitment by South Korea's largest tech conglomerate to strengthen its position in critical technology sectors. The announcement underscores Samsung's strategy to compete in high-growth markets including artificial intelligence infrastructure and advanced chip manufacturing.

The robotics industry is splitting into two competing camps over which AI approach will power the next generation of physical robots. Vision-language-action models (VLAs), derived from large language models, compete against world models, which predict physical outcomes based on video training. Recent moves by Luma and 1X to launch world model labs signal growing momentum for the latter approach, even as major figures like Elon Musk and Jensen Huang predict a robotics ChatGPT moment is near.

SambaNova, an Intel-backed AI chip startup, is raising between $800 million and $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation, roughly five times its valuation from four months prior. The funding reflects intensifying demand for AI server chips that can compete with Nvidia's offerings as developers and cloud providers seek lower-cost alternatives. SambaNova, founded nine years ago, is among a growing cohort of startups targeting the high-margin AI chip market.

Cerebras, an AI chipmaker, saw its stock price decline following its first earnings report as a public company. The company provided guidance for narrower gross margins in its core business, which caught investors off guard. CEO commentary suggests the margin outlook may have been misunderstood by the market.