Since entering 2026, global chip giant NVIDIA has significantly accelerated its investment pace in the artificial intelligence field. According to the latest data, NVIDIA has committed to investing over $4 billion in AI-related equity transactions in just the first few months of this year. This staggering investment amount not only highlights its leading position in the AI ecosystem but also reflects the company's ambition to deepen its involvement in the industrial chain through capital operations.

Heavy Investment in OpenAI, Expanding into Multiple Fields in the Public Market

In this year's investment portfolio, the most notable is a huge transaction with OpenAI. NVIDIA invested $3 billion in a single deal, further solidifying its strategic partnership with this top AI laboratory.

Aside from supporting private giants, NVIDIA's activities in the public market are also active. Recently, the company announced seven billion-dollar investment agreements targeting listed companies. Among them, Corning, a glass substrate manufacturer, received the highest investment commitment of $3.2 billion, while data center operator IREN also received about $2.1 billion in funding support. These moves indicate that NVIDIA is extending its reach from pure computing chips to underlying materials and infrastructure construction.

Deepening Involvement in Startups, Investment Strategy Sparks "Circular Transaction" Controversy

At the startup level, NVIDIA's penetration remains strong. After participating in 67 venture capital transactions in 2025, the company has participated in approximately 24 rounds of private financing this year. However, this deep involvement has drawn scrutiny from market analysts.

Some observers point out that since many of the companies invested in by NVIDIA are already customers of its chip products, this model has a clear "circular investment" characteristic. Critics argue that funds circulating between related companies may create bubbles, but some financial analysts note that if these strategies take root, they could build an insurmountable competitive moat for NVIDIA. By transforming partners into "interest communities," NVIDIA is evolving from a hardware supplier into a core capital force controlling the entire AI industry chain.