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NVIDIA Corporation

SemiconductorsFounded 1993
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Acquisitions

NVIDIA Acquisitions

9

Major Deals Covered

$8.0B

Disclosed Deal Value

What are NVIDIA's biggest acquisitions?

NVIDIA's largest disclosed acquisition here is Mellanox Technologies for $6.9B in 2020. This page covers 9 major deals from 2000 to 2025, each with its price where disclosed and the reason behind it.

Major deals covered
9
Largest deal
Mellanox Technologies ($6.9B)
First deal
2000
Most recent
2025
CompanyYearPricePurpose
Mellanox Technologies2020$6.9BNVIDIA acquired Mellanox to add high-speed networking, InfiniBand, Ethernet, switches, adapters, and data-center interconnect expertise to its GPU business. The goal was to control more of the AI and high-performance computing cluster stack.
3dfx Interactive assets2000$70.0MNVIDIA acquired core assets of 3dfx Interactive, including patents and engineering talent, after the Voodoo graphics pioneer collapsed. The purpose was to remove a rival, resolve litigation, and strengthen NVIDIA's graphics intellectual property.
AGEIA Technologies2008UndisclosedNVIDIA acquired AGEIA to bring PhysX physics simulation technology into its GPU ecosystem. The goal was to make gaming and simulation more realistic while giving developers another reason to improve for NVIDIA hardware.
Icera2011$367.0MNVIDIA acquired Icera to strengthen its mobile modem and baseband capabilities as it tried to compete in smartphone and tablet processors through Tegra. The deal was meant to fill a connectivity gap against Qualcomm and integrated mobile rivals.
Cumulus Networks2020UndisclosedNVIDIA acquired Cumulus Networks to add open networking software to its data-center portfolio after the Mellanox deal. The goal was to strengthen software-defined networking for modern cloud and AI infrastructure.
Excelero2022UndisclosedNVIDIA acquired Excelero to improve high-performance block storage technology for large-scale enterprise and AI workloads. The goal was to reduce bottlenecks around data movement and storage access in accelerated computing environments.
Run:ai2024$700.0MNVIDIA acquired Run:ai to improve orchestration, scheduling, and utilization of AI infrastructure. The software helps teams allocate expensive GPU resources more efficiently across users, models, and workloads.
Groq (technology license and team)2025UndisclosedIn December 2025 NVIDIA agreed to a non-exclusive license of Groq's inference chip technology and hired key Groq leaders, including founder Jonathan Ross. Press reports put the deal at about $20B in cash. It was structured so that Groq continued as an independent company.
SchedMD2025UndisclosedNVIDIA Corporation acquired SchedMD in 2025.
What companies has NVIDIA bought?
Major acquisitions by NVIDIA documented here include Mellanox Technologies (2020), Run:ai (2024), Icera (2011), 3dfx Interactive assets (2000) and Groq (technology license and team) (2025).
What is NVIDIA's most recent acquisition?
The most recent NVIDIA acquisition documented here is Groq (technology license and team), in 2025.

Groq (technology license and team)

2025

Why

In December 2025 NVIDIA agreed to a non-exclusive license of Groq's inference chip technology and hired key Groq leaders, including founder Jonathan Ross. Press reports put the deal at about $20B in cash. It was structured so that Groq continued as an independent company.

Impact

The deal strengthened NVIDIA's position in low-latency AI inference. NVIDIA said in August 2026 that its Groq 3 LPX inference accelerator was in full production.

Outcome

Groq raised new funding in 2026 and refocused on its inference cloud. U.S. senators questioned the deal structure, and press reports in September 2026 said the DOJ had opened an inquiry.

Source →

SchedMD

2025

Why

NVIDIA Corporation acquired SchedMD in 2025.

Source →

Run:ai

2024

$700M

Why

NVIDIA acquired Run:ai to improve orchestration, scheduling, and utilization of AI infrastructure. The software helps teams allocate expensive GPU resources more efficiently across users, models, and workloads.

Impact

Run:ai fits NVIDIA's move from hardware sales toward operating AI factories. As customers buy more accelerators, software that improves utilization becomes more valuable.

Outcome

The acquisition closed after regulatory scrutiny and NVIDIA said the software would be open sourced. The deal should help NVIDIA defend platform relevance as customers focus on reducing the operating cost of AI infrastructure.

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Excelero

2022

Why

NVIDIA acquired Excelero to improve high-performance block storage technology for large-scale enterprise and AI workloads. The goal was to reduce bottlenecks around data movement and storage access in accelerated computing environments.

Impact

Excelero added storage software expertise that fits NVIDIA's systems-level approach to AI infrastructure. Data movement, not only compute, determines the performance of large AI and HPC deployments.

Outcome

The acquisition was a targeted capability purchase. It strengthened the architecture around NVIDIA systems, though its impact is embedded inside platform performance rather than disclosed as a standalone business.

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Mellanox Technologies

2020

$6.9B

Why

NVIDIA acquired Mellanox to add high-speed networking, InfiniBand, Ethernet, switches, adapters, and data-center interconnect expertise to its GPU business. The goal was to control more of the AI and high-performance computing cluster stack.

Impact

Mellanox transformed NVIDIA's Data Center strategy by making networking part of the core platform. The acquisition helped NVIDIA sell AI factories and supercomputing systems rather than only accelerator cards.

Outcome

The acquisition achieved its goal and became one of NVIDIA's most important strategic moves. By FY2026 networking was essential to the company's $193.7 billion Data Center revenue base because large AI clusters depend on fast interconnects.

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Cumulus Networks

2020

Why

NVIDIA acquired Cumulus Networks to add open networking software to its data-center portfolio after the Mellanox deal. The goal was to strengthen software-defined networking for modern cloud and AI infrastructure.

Impact

Cumulus helped NVIDIA offer a broader networking software stack for enterprises and cloud customers. It complemented Mellanox hardware by making networking easier to manage and automate.

Outcome

The acquisition supported NVIDIA's full-stack data-center strategy. Its success is better measured as part of the broader networking platform rather than a separate revenue stream.

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Icera

2011

$367M

Why

NVIDIA acquired Icera to strengthen its mobile modem and baseband capabilities as it tried to compete in smartphone and tablet processors through Tegra. The deal was meant to fill a connectivity gap against Qualcomm and integrated mobile rivals.

Impact

Icera did not solve NVIDIA's mobile SoC challenge because smartphone buyers prioritized power efficiency, integration, and modem leadership. The mobile strategy eventually lost momentum.

Outcome

The acquisition did not achieve its long-term goal. NVIDIA exited much of the smartphone SoC race and refocused on gaming, automotive, data centers, and AI, where its GPU strengths mattered more.

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AGEIA Technologies

2008

Why

NVIDIA acquired AGEIA to bring PhysX physics simulation technology into its GPU ecosystem. The goal was to make gaming and simulation more realistic while giving developers another reason to improve for NVIDIA hardware.

Impact

PhysX became part of NVIDIA's software and developer toolkit, reinforcing the idea that GPUs could accelerate more than graphics. The acquisition also aligned with NVIDIA's later emphasis on simulation and physically accurate computing.

Outcome

The acquisition was useful even though it did not become a standalone revenue engine. Its value was ecosystem reinforcement: physics, simulation, and developer tooling became part of NVIDIA's broader platform.

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3dfx Interactive assets

2000

$70M

Why

NVIDIA acquired core assets of 3dfx Interactive, including patents and engineering talent, after the Voodoo graphics pioneer collapsed. The purpose was to remove a rival, resolve litigation, and strengthen NVIDIA's graphics intellectual property.

Impact

The deal accelerated consolidation in PC graphics and helped NVIDIA move further ahead during the GeForce era. It also brought engineering knowledge from a company that had helped define early 3D gaming.

Outcome

The acquisition achieved its defensive and strategic purpose. NVIDIA did not revive 3dfx as a separate brand, but it gained patents, talent, and competitive clearance during a volatile market transition.

Source →

NVIDIA Corporation's Growth & Acquisition Strategy

NVIDIA wants to sell the whole AI factory, not just accelerators. It ships a new architecture roughly every year: Blackwell, then Blackwell Ultra, then Vera Rubin, which reached full production in mid-2026. Each rack combines GPUs, Vera CPUs, NVLink, Spectrum-6 switches and BlueField DPUs. Inference is a key push: in December 2025 NVIDIA licensed Groq's inference chip technology and hired its leadership, and Groq 3 LPX accelerators were in full production by August 2026. Other growth bets include sovereign AI deals with national governments, physical AI and robotics, and automotive computing.

How NVIDIA Corporation Makes Money

NVIDIA is a fabless chip and systems company: it designs GPUs, CPUs, networking and software, and outsources manufacturing mainly to TSMC. Data Center is the core business, at $193.7B of FY2026 revenue (about 90%) and $89.0B of the $96.2B earned in Q2 FY2027. Customers are cloud providers, AI labs, enterprises and governments that buy Blackwell and Vera Rubin rack-scale systems together with NVLink, InfiniBand and Spectrum-X networking. The rest of revenue comes from GeForce gaming GPUs, professional visualization, and automotive and robotics platforms. CUDA and NVIDIA AI Enterprise software keep developers and customers on NVIDIA hardware.

NVIDIA Acquisitions FAQ

What was NVIDIA's landmark $6.9 billion acquisition of Mellanox Technologies in 2020?

In April 2020, NVIDIA completed the transformative $6.9 billion all-cash acquisition of Israeli high-speed networking leader Mellanox Technologies, integrating InfiniBand interconnects and SmartNICs to transform NVIDIA from a GPU chip vendor into a complete hyperscale AI data center systems leader.

What happened to NVIDIA's proposed $40 billion acquisition of Arm in 2020-2022?

In September 2020, NVIDIA agreed to acquire British semiconductor IP giant Arm for $40 billion from SoftBank; however, following severe antitrust opposition from the US FTC, UK CMA, and European Commission, NVIDIA and SoftBank mutually terminated the merger in February 2022, with NVIDIA retaining its 20-year architectural Arm license to build Grace CPUs.

What was NVIDIA's acquisition of 3dfx Interactive in 2000?

In December 2000, NVIDIA acquired the core graphics patents, engineering talent, and brand assets of its chief 1990s rival 3dfx Interactive (creators of the Voodoo graphics card) for $112 million, eliminating its primary competitor and securing absolute dominance in 3D PC gaming graphics.

How did NVIDIA acquire physics engine pioneer Ageia Technologies in 2008?

In 2008, NVIDIA acquired Ageia Technologies, the creator of the PhysX physics processing engine, integrating real-time physical simulation (fluid dynamics, destruction, cloth physics) directly into CUDA and GeForce GPUs.

What was the acquisition of AI workload orchestration startup Run:ai in 2024?

In April 2024, NVIDIA agreed to acquire Israeli AI workload management and GPU virtualization startup Run:ai for approximately $700 million, enabling enterprise customers to dynamically virtualize, pool, and orchestrate GPU resources across hybrid cloud environments.

What was the acquisition of Deci AI in 2024 to boost neural architecture optimization?

In 2024, NVIDIA acquired Israeli deep learning startup Deci AI, integrating its Neural Architecture Search (NAS) technology to optimize AI model inference speed and compression on NVIDIA hardware.

How did NVIDIA acquire high-performance cluster manager Bright Computing in 2022?

In January 2022, NVIDIA acquired Bright Computing, integrating its industry-leading high-performance computing (HPC) cluster management software into NVIDIA's DGX systems to automate the deployment and monitoring of large-scale AI data center clusters.

What is NVIDIA's corporate venture capital strategy via NVentures and GPU alliances?

Through its corporate venture arm NVentures, NVIDIA strategically invests in premier AI foundation model builders (OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral AI, Cohere, Perplexity AI) and autonomous robotics firms, cementing CUDA as the standard computing substrate for the entire AI ecosystem.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.