Nvidia backed 105 startup rounds this year

Nvidia took part in 105 startup funding rounds in 2026, often as the largest investor, PitchBook data showed. TechCrunch reported on the 13th of November 2026 that investors now expect fewer and smaller checks.

Jensen Huang resigned as Nvidia's chief executive on the 12th of November. Finance chief Colette Kress is now interim chief executive.

Why startups worry

Most big startup bets came from Huang himself, Seligman Ventures partner Umesh Padval told TechCrunch. One investor said Kress is much more careful with money.

Investors expect lower startup values as a result, TechCrunch reported.

Where the money went

Nvidia backed cloud firms that rent out AI chips, such as CoreWeave and Crusoe. It also holds stakes in Mistral AI, Lambda and Black Forest Labs.

It agreed to buy Hugging Face this year for 13 billion dollars, TechCrunch reported. In 2025 it put 800 million dollars into Reflection AI, the Wall Street Journal reported.

How deals worked

Some startups needing 100 million to 500 million dollars in chips raised half from Nvidia, one investor told TechCrunch. Those rounds often valued them at 1 billion dollars or more.

Who could step in

Battery Ventures partner Dharmesh Thakker said Google, Amazon, Microsoft and AMD may back older startups. He doubts they will fund young firms with no sales.

Below we break down the pace

105 rounds in about 10.5 months is about 10 rounds a month, by our arithmetic.

What is confirmed and what is not

Nvidia has not said it will cut startup investing.

Key facts

Nvidia joined 105 startup funding rounds in 2026, PitchBook data showed.

Jensen Huang resigned as chief executive on the 12th of November 2026.

Investors expect interim chief Colette Kress to invest more carefully.

Big cloud and chip firms may fill part of the gap.