Nvidia Pledges £2bn Investment in UK AI Start-Ups
US technology giant Nvidia has pledged to invest £2bn in the UK’s artificial intelligence start-up ecosystem, in a move hailed as a major boost for Britain’s tech sector.
Founder and chief executive Jensen Huang announced the commitment at a packed event in London’s King’s Cross, attended by hundreds of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. He was joined on stage by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who welcomed the announcement.
Huang named a string of UK firms set to benefit, including driverless car start-up Wayve, life sciences company Basecamp Research, AI video platform Synthesia, and fintech unicorn Revolut. “I’m going to invest in your next round,” Huang declared to each founder in turn.
As a symbolic gesture, Huang presented Starmer with a DGX1 supercomputer, inscribed: “Prime Minister Starmer, this is the age of AI. A new industrial revolution begins.”
The event also featured UK business secretary Peter Kyle, science and technology secretary Liz Kendall, and US commerce secretary Howard Luttnick.
Addressing UK business secretary Peter Kyle, US commerce secretary Howard Luttnick said:
“In order to win the race to AGI we must arm our best entrepreneurs, our best innovators, our best engineers. It’s key that you deliver the regulatory infrastructure framework so that the smartest people here feel good about that investment.”
Nvidia’s £2bn pledge to UK AI start-ups came only hours after the company revealed a separate US$5bn investment in Intel, underscoring its ambition to cement global leadership in the next wave of artificial intelligence and semiconductor technology.
Closing his remarks, Huang told the audience: “I love you guys, I’m looking forward to making a fortune off of all of you.”
In a pointed intervention, Luttnick warned against heavy-handed UK regulation, telling Kyle: “We need standards, not safety.”
