The news: FuriosaAI, an AI chip startup based in Seoul, South Korea, rejected an $800 million buyout offer from Meta, choosing independence over acquisition, per Bloomberg.
The acquisition attempt was part of Meta’s plans to expand into hardware to serve its platforms’ ads, ranking, and recommendation processes.
Why it’s worth watching: The failed purchase could be a long-term win for FuriosaAI, whose customers include LG AI Research and Saudi Aramco. If it’s modeling itself after Nvidia, FuriosaAI can cater to a larger pool of customers desperate for alternative AI hardware.