How 2 Google Brain alums raised $335M in 4 months

Ricursive Intelligence closed $335M Series A at $4B valuation — led by Lightspeed, Nvidia invested.

• $370M total raised in 4 months
• AI tools that design chips (not chips themselves)
• Target: chip design from 1+ years to 6 hours

How it happened:
• Built Alpha Chip at Google Brain (designed 3 TPU generations)
• Leveraged reputation: "weird emails from Zuckerberg making crazy offers"
• Timed market perfectly as AI chip demand exploded
• Secured Nvidia as strategic investor (customer, not competitor)

Takeaway: When you've proven the impossible at scale, VCs line up before you ask.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/16/how-ricursive-intelligence-raised-335m-at-a-4b-valuation-in-4-months/