Nvidia is weighing a deeper partnership with Reflection AI, according to someone familiar with the conversations. Possibilities on the table include putting more money into the startup or supplying additional computing resources.
Those discussions are still in the early innings and nothing has been finalized, the person said, requesting anonymity because the matter is private. Nvidia did not return a request for comment right away, while Reflection said it had no comment.
The Financial Times previously reported the talks and said they could even progress to a takeover bid. Structures under consideration include an acqui-hire that brings staff aboard while licensing the tech, a chip supply agreement, or a larger Nvidia equity position.
Earlier this month, Reflection introduced its first open-weight model, Beam. In open-weight setups, developers release the model's weights so others can use and adapt the system freely.
On Monday, Reflection said Beam was built to perform well for enterprise and developer tasks such as coding and AI agents, while undercutting many rivals on cost. It also said Beam's advanced reasoning scores are comparable to GLM-5.2 from China's Z.AI, which is considered a leading open model.
The company was started by two former Google DeepMind researchers. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Reflection has discussed raising $2.5 billion at a $25 billion valuation.
Reflection has also signed billion-dollar agreements with Elon Musk's SpaceX and with cloud provider Nebius Group NV to lock in computing power for building its models.
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A tie-up with Reflection would slot neatly into Nvidia's recent deal streak. The chipmaker, now the most valuable company in the world, has been using its balance sheet to nurture the wider AI ecosystem.
Recent moves include a $13 billion agreement unveiled in September to purchase AI model company Hugging Face, and an approximately $20 billion licensing deal with chip startup Groq. Chief Executive Jensen Huang has been outspoken in favor of open-weight systems.
The push is partly about ensuring more US-led open-weight options. The idea is that stronger domestic offerings could limit startups' need to rely on Chinese open-weight models, which are far cheaper to run than US models from outfits like OpenAI and Anthropic PBC and not dramatically behind in smarts. Washington is also leaning in.
If Nvidia tightens its relationship with Reflection, it extends a clear pattern: bankroll the models, provide the chips, and shape where developers build. For everyday investors, the takeaway is simple enough: open-weight tools like Beam aim to cut costs for businesses, while Nvidia positions itself at the center of the picks-and-shovels economy that powers them.
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