Nvidia Invests $3.5B into MediaTek, Wafer Raises $40M Series A, VC Argues for Raising Less for AI

Wafer Co-Founder and CEO Emilio Andere talks with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about optimizing open source models for non-Nvidia chips. We also talk with New Enterprise Associates Partner Mustafa Neemuchwala about Nvidia’s $3.5 billion convertible bond investment in MediaTek, and we get into the VC case for building software in the AI era with The General Partnership Co-Founder Phin Barnes.Articles discussed on this episode: https://www.theinformation.com/newsletters/ai-agenda/wafer-inference-provider-uses-non-nvidia-chips-lands-acquisition-offers-200-million-plus-valuationSubscribe: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agendaTITV airs weekdays on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Follow us:X: https://x.com/theinformationIG: https://www.instagram.com/theinformation/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@titv.theinformationLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theinformation/Chapters:00:00 - Introduction01:13 - Wafer Raises $40M Series A at $200M+ Valuation03:42 - Optimizing Open Weight Models for AMD & Non-Nvidia Chips11:26 - OpenAI’s Jalapeño Chip & Agentic Workflows12:56 - Nvidia Invests $3.5B in MediaTek Convertibles17:42 - Does Nvidia-MediaTek Deal Deepen Circular Financing?23:30 - The VC Case for Building Software in the AI Era28:45 - The VC Mechanics Driving Mega-Rounds & Pivots34:02 - Outcome-Based Pricing vs. Predictable SaaS Margins