Wafer, An Inference Provider That Uses Non-Nvidia Chips, Lands Acquisition Offers and $200 Million-Plus Valuation

The Information | 01-09-2026 03:21pm |

The article discusses a startup called Wafer, based in San Francisco, which focuses on improving how AI models operate on different types of computer chips. Wafer uses artificial intelligence to optimize these models for specific business needs. Recently, Wafer raised $40 million in funding, which has increased its value to over $200 million. The company was founded in May 2025 by Emilio Andere and his friend Steven Arellano. Wafer has created AI tools known as "AI inference engineers." These tools help businesses tailor open-source AI models to their specific tasks. For example, if a business needs a voice AI that can quickly respond to many requests, the AI inference engineers will make adjustments suited for that. Conversely, if the task requires an AI that remembers information for a longer period, different optimizations will be applied. Overall, Wafer is leveraging AI to enhance how businesses can use AI models effectively on various chips.

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