{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/sima-ai-raises-150m-series-c-at-1-45b-valuation-to-compete-with-nvidia","json":"https://digestai.news/story/sima-ai-raises-150m-series-c-at-1-45b-valuation-to-compete-with-nvidia.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/sima-ai-raises-150m-series-c-at-1-45b-valuation-to-compete-with-nvidia.md","slug":"sima-ai-raises-150m-series-c-at-1-45b-valuation-to-compete-with-nvidia","headline":"SiMa.ai raises $150M Series C at $1.45B valuation to compete with Nvidia’s CUDA hardware","summary":"SiMa.ai, a startup specializing in custom chips for physical AI devices, announced a **$150 million Series C funding round** led by Fidelity and Amplify, valuing the company at **$1.45 billion**. The funds will accelerate development of its **Palette Neat** agentic environment and next-gen **Modalix** system-on-chip, targeting embedded robotics and autonomous systems by mid-2028 with **1,000 tera operations per second (TOPS)** of performance—half of Nvidia’s top-tier **Jetson AGX Thor** modules (2,000 TOPS) but with lower power consumption for drones and robots.\n\nSiMa.ai’s CEO, Krishna Rangasayee, claims the startup’s **purpose-built silicon and software** can deploy faster than Nvidia’s CUDA-based systems, aiming for markets like humanoid robotics, automotive ADAS, and AI-powered cockpits. Current partners include **Bosch, Emerson, Micron, and Synopsys**, but the company faces competition from Nvidia’s dominant CUDA architecture. The funding round also included **Alter Venture Partners, Dell Technologies Capital, and J.P. Morgan**, among others.","keyPoints":["SiMa.ai raised **$150M** in Series C funding, led by Fidelity and Amplify, at a **$1.45B valuation**","Targeting **1,000 TOPS** by mid-2028 for embedded robotics, competing with Nvidia’s **2,000 TOPS Jetson AGX Thor**","Funds will scale **Palette Neat** (agentic dev environment) and **Modalix** (SoC) for drones, robots, and automotive AI"],"whyItMatters":"SiMa.ai’s push into low-power, high-performance chips could disrupt Nvidia’s dominance in physical AI hardware, enabling faster deployment for drones, robots, and autonomous vehicles—critical for industries from logistics to defense.","category":{"slug":"hardware","name":"Hardware & Compute","url":"https://digestai.news/category/hardware"},"entities":{"companies":["SiMa.ai","Nvidia","Fidelity Management & Research Company","Amplify","Alter Venture Partners","Dell Technologies Capital"],"models":[],"people":["Krishna Rangasayee"]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-28T13:40:00Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-28T13:40:00Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"siliconangle.com","title":"Physical AI chip startup SiMa.ai raised a $150M Series C led by Fidelity and Amplify at a $1.45B valuation, aiming to compete with Nvidia's CUDA-based hardware","url":"https://siliconangle.com/2026/09/28/physical-ai-custom-chip-producer-sima-ai-raises-150m-at-1-45b-valuation","publishedAt":"2026-09-28T13:40:00Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"SiMa.ai raises $150M Series C at $1.45B valuation to compete with Nvidia’s CUDA hardware\", 28 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/sima-ai-raises-150m-series-c-at-1-45b-valuation-to-compete-with-nvidia","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"SiMa.ai raises $150M Series C at $1.45B valuation to compete with Nvidia’s CUDA hardware","datePublished":"2026-09-28T13:40:00Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/sima-ai-raises-150m-series-c-at-1-45b-valuation-to-compete-with-nvidia"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}