Nvidia (NVDA, Financials), the chipmaker known for AI processors used in data centers, has reportedly committed A$720 million, or about $500 million, to Australian cloud infrastructure startup Firmus Technologies.
The investment is part of Firmus' A$2.9 billion funding round and makes Nvidia the company's largest investor. The round values Firmus at about A$15.5 billion, nearly double its previous valuation.
Firmus provides high-performance computing, cloud and AI services to businesses, research groups and government customers. Much of the new funding is expected to go toward buying Nvidia chips for its planned data center in Launceston, Tasmania.
Nvidia bought preference shares that could convert into ordinary shares if Firmus goes public. Firmus is reportedly aiming for an Australian Securities Exchange listing within the next 12 months.
The deal also deepens Nvidia's relationship with Firmus, which plans to deploy 170,000 Nvidia GPUs at a new AI data center in Batam, Indonesia.
For investors, the move shows Nvidia is not only selling AI chips but also backing infrastructure customers that could drive future GPU demand.