Total amount raised
$115 Millions
Latest funding date
03/01/2022
Location
Luminous Computing has successfully raised $115 million in venture capital through a Series A round closed on March 3, 2022, with backing from MVP Ventures and Horsley Bridge Partners among others.
The company is focused on developing the most powerful, scalable AI accelerator on Earth, aiming to provide the necessary compute, memory, and bandwidth for advanced AI applications. Keep reading to explore the intricacies of Luminous Computing's fundraising journey and the investors backing this innovative platform.
What Is Luminous Computing?
Luminous Computing, founded in 2018, is headquartered in Mountain View, California. The company operates in the artificial intelligence, computer hardware, and software industries. It was established by Marcus Gomez, Michael Gao, and Mitchell Nahmias.
With an employee count ranging between 51 and 100, Luminous Computing is dedicated to developing photonics chips designed to handle the demanding workloads of the AI industry. Their flagship product is an AI training and inference chip that integrates the computing power of supercomputers into a single chip, addressing the bottlenecks faced by traditional processors.
How Much Funding Has Luminous Computing Raised?
- Pre-Seed Round
- Amount Raised: $1M
- Date: June 2018
- Lead Investors: Not publicly disclosed
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To establish the company and begin initial development of their photonics chip technology.
- Seed Round
- Amount Raised: $9M
- Date: June 2019
- Lead Investors: Not publicly disclosed
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To further develop their AI accelerator chip and expand the engineering team.
- Series A
- Amount Raised: $105M
- Date: March 2022
- Lead Investors: Gigafund, Bill Gates, 8090 Partners, Neo, Third Kind Venture Capital, Alumni Ventures Group, Strawberry Creek Ventures, Horsley Bridge, Modern Venture Partners
- Valuation at Round: Between $200M and $300M
- Motivation Behind the Round: To double the size of the engineering team, develop custom chips and software, and prepare for commercial-scale production.
Total Amount Raised: $115M. Current Valuation: Between $200M and $300M.
Key Investors
- Gigafund
- Details: Gigafund is a venture capital firm focused on supporting transformative companies. Managed by Luke Nosek, it aims to back founders with the potential to build significant companies.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, AI, Space
- Notable Investments: SpaceX, The Boring Company
- Bill Gates
- Details: Bill Gates is the co-founder of Microsoft and a prominent investor and philanthropist. He is known for his significant contributions to technology and global health initiatives.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, Healthcare, Sustainable Energy
- Notable Investments: Microsoft, Breakthrough Energy Ventures
- 8090 Partners
- Details: 8090 Partners is a venture capital firm investing in early-stage technology companies. They focus on innovative solutions and disruptive technologies.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, AI, Software
- Notable Investments: Not publicly disclosed
- Neo
- Details: Neo is a venture capital firm that supports early-stage startups. They aim to foster innovation and growth in the technology sector.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, AI, Software
- Notable Investments: Not publicly disclosed
- Third Kind Venture Capital
- Details: Third Kind Venture Capital is a firm investing in early-stage technology companies. They focus on companies with the potential to drive significant technological advancements.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, AI, Software
- Notable Investments: Not publicly disclosed
What's Next for Luminous Computing?
As Luminous Computing looks to the future, the opportunities are vast. The company aims to revolutionize AI applications by developing the world's most powerful AI supercomputer. This endeavor could transform sectors like self-driving cars, personalized drug discovery, and natural language processing. The demand for advanced AI solutions is growing, and Luminous is well-positioned to meet this need with its innovative silicon photonics technology.
Future fundraising opportunities seem promising, given the successful Series A round and the involvement of high-profile investors. As Luminous gears up for commercial-scale production and expands its engineering team, additional funding rounds are likely. However, challenges remain, such as the complexity of developing custom chips and software, and the need to scale production efficiently. Overcoming these hurdles will be crucial for Luminous to realize its ambitious goals.
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