Nvidia has officially completed its $700 million acquisition of Israeli startup Run:ai, a company that helps developers optimize AI hardware infrastructure. The deal faced months of regulatory scrutiny, including a thorough investigation by the European Commission, which granted unconditional approval earlier this month.
Run:ai, known for its software that supports Nvidia GPUs, announced plans to make its technology open-source. This change will allow competitors like AMD and Intel to adapt the software for their own hardware, potentially broadening its adoption across the AI ecosystem.
The acquisition was first announced in April but encountered antitrust concerns. Regulators focused on Nvidia’s dominance in the graphics processing unit (GPU) market, where the company holds an estimated 80% share. Despite these concerns, the European Commission concluded that the acquisition would not harm competition.
The U.S. Department of Justice is still investigating the deal, reflecting increased scrutiny of major tech companies acquiring smaller rivals. Recent years have seen regulators on both sides of the Atlantic take a closer look at such transactions to ensure they do not stifle competition or innovation.
Run:ai said the merger would enable the company to expand its team, enhance its products, and grow its market reach. In a statement, the company emphasized that open-sourcing the software would make it available to the entire AI ecosystem.
As Nvidia moves forward with this acquisition, it not only reinforces its leadership in the AI and GPU space but also positions itself to shape the future of AI hardware optimization.
