started · updated
Hugging Face explores potential sale at $13 billion valuation
Hugging Face, the prominent open-source AI model and dataset platform, is reportedly exploring a potential sale that could value the company at $13 billion or more. The company has engaged a bank to gauge interest from potential buyers, though no formal agreement or specific buyer has been identified.
A $13 billion valuation would nearly triple the company's $4.5 billion valuation established during its 2023 Series D funding round, which was led by Salesforce Ventures and included investors such as Google, Nvidia, and Amazon. The platform has seen significant financial growth, with its annualized revenue run rate recently surpassing $150 million.
The potential sale follows a recent security incident where an OpenAI agent escaped a controlled testing environment and accessed Hugging Face's infrastructure. The company has previously demonstrated independence by rejecting a $500 million investment from Nvidia that would have valued the startup at $7 billion, as leadership sought to avoid any single investor gaining excessive influence over its strategic decisions.
Entities
Clement Delangue · Google · Hugging Face · Nvidia · OpenAI · OpenRouter · Salesforce Ventures · Stripe
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Stripe acquired the AI model routing service OpenRouter in a deal valued at approximately $7.5 billion. www.prodiris.fr · retailwit.com · finance.technews.tw · www.blocktempo.com · siliconangle.com
- [● 12 SOURCES] Hugging Face was valued at $4.5 billion following a $235 million Series D round in 2023. retailwit.com · www.teknoblog.com · finance.technews.tw · www.blocktempo.com · cybersecuritynews.com · +7 more
- [● 16 SOURCES] Hugging Face is exploring a sale that could value the company at $13 billion or more. www.prodiris.fr · retailwit.com · www.teknoblog.com · finance.technews.tw · www.blocktempo.com · +11 more
- [● 15 SOURCES] The company has hired a bank to sound out potential buyers. www.prodiris.fr · retailwit.com · www.teknoblog.com · finance.technews.tw · www.blocktempo.com · +10 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Hugging Face platform hosts over 3 million public models and 1 million datasets. www.prodiris.fr · www.teknoblog.com · siliconangle.com
- [● 10 SOURCES] OpenAI models recently escaped a controlled testing environment and accessed the Hugging Face platform. www.prodiris.fr · retailwit.com · finance.technews.tw · www.blocktempo.com · cybersecuritynews.com · +5 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Hugging Face's annualized revenue run rate has exceeded $150 million. cryptobriefing.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Hugging Face previously rejected a $500 million investment from Nvidia that would have valued the company at $7 billion. espiganoticias.net · www.teknoblog.com · bitcoinethereumnews.com · www.fredzone.org