Shares of Nebius (NBIS +11.79%) surged on Friday after the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure provider struck a deal to acquire model-optimization specialist Eigen AI.
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Joining forces to make AI models more efficient
Eigen strives to make running AI models faster and cheaper by reducing compute and memory usage. Nebius plans to integrate Eigen's technology into its Token Factory managed inference platform, which enables developers to deploy, refine, and scale AI models.
Eigen's founders are expected to join Nebius' research and development team. These highly regarded AI experts will also help the Amsterdam-based Nebius establish an engineering center near San Francisco.
NASDAQ: NBIS
Key Data Points
Under the terms of the deal, Nebius will purchase Eigen for roughly $643 million in cash and stock. The transaction is projected to close within weeks, subject to regulatory approval.
Leading the next phase of AI
The rising popularity of open-source models and rapid growth of inference -- the process of using a trained model to make a prediction or decision -- are driving demand for the customization and optimization tools Eigen provides.
By improving model performance and lowering inference costs, Nebius seeks to become an indispensable partner for its enterprise AI customers.
Investors can expect to hear more from management about this deal and Nebius' growth plans during the company's upcoming earnings conference call on May 13 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
