The Sequence Opinion #519: Is NVIDIA the Ultimate AI Investor
The chip maker has built the best AI VC portfolio in the market.
No company has steered the course of the AI industry with greater impact than NVIDIA. Traditionally known for its GPU dominance, NVIDIA has transformed itself into a force-multiplying strategic investor, operating with a dual mandate: accelerate AI innovation and expand its own technical and commercial footprint. This essay provides a rigorous exploration of NVIDIA's corporate venture capital (CVC) strategy, contrasting it with traditional firms like Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz. We examine NVIDIA’s full-stack thesis, walk through representative portfolio bets, and argue that NVIDIA’s technical integration and systemic insight grant it unmatched leverage in shaping the future of AI.