Australia’s Firmus Technologies strikes AI access deal with Nvidia

(Reuters) – Australian AI infrastructure company Firmus Technologies said on Monday it had ​signed a strategic partnership with Nvidia Corp (NVDA.O), opens new tab to help provide emerging ‌AI firms with more cost-effective access to computing power.

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Firmus said the deal would see it buy Nvidia infrastructure and sell Nvidia‑powered cloud services to “AI Native” customers, among ​others, in an agreement that would earn the U.S.-listed chip giant product ​revenue and a share of cloud revenue.

The deal will ⁠deliver 170,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPU) from the first quarter of 2027 ​to the start of 2028, that will be located in Batam, Indonesia.
Firmus ​said it expected to earn up to $30 billion in revenue during the first six years of the deal, based on customer commitments.

The Australian-founded company said the deal ​would make it easier for smaller and developing AI firms to ​access the technology’s infrastructure.
“We have worked to figure out how to close the gap ‌between ⁠the cost benefits that the large guys have access to, which they do because they have great credit ratings, and the guys that are up and comers,” Firmus co-chief executive Tim Rosenfield told Reuters. “This is ​actually a really ​material way to ⁠level the playing field a little bit to give the next a chance to compete with the ​big guys.”

Nvidia has participated in Firmus’ previous capital raisings ​making it ⁠an investor in the Australian firm, according to Firmus.
Firmus said in April it had raised $1.35 billion over the previous six months, giving it a $5.5 billion post-money ⁠valuation. ​It has appointed investment banks to work ​on a potential initial public offering, according to people familiar with the matter.

Rosenfield declined to ​comment on Firmus’ IPO preparations.
Reporting by Scott Murdoch; Editing by Kate Mayberry

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