In other AI news, Cisco and its investment arm, Cisco Investments, have launched a $1 billion AI investment fund to support the startup ecosystem and the development of secure and reliable AI solutions. Cisco has already committed nearly $200 million of the investment fund to date, including strategic investments in Cohere, Mistral AI, and Scale AI. In the past, Cisco has made over 20 AI-focused acquisitions and investments.
Key takeaways:
- Toronto-based Cohere has secured a $450 million investment from corporate investors including Nvidia, Salesforce Ventures 1, Cisco, and Canadian pension fund PSP Investments, at a $5 billion valuation.
- The company, which builds large language models for AI, has more than doubled its previous value of $2.2 billion from a Series C round last June.
- Other AI startups have also seen significant valuation increases, including CoreWeave, Mistral AI, and Elon Musk's xAI, which is now valued at $24 billion.
- Cisco has launched a $1 billion AI investment fund, and has already committed nearly $200 million of it to strategic investments in Cohere, Mistral AI, and Scale AI.