New York, Feb 25, 2026, 06:27 ET — Premarket
- Intel popped roughly 6% Tuesday, after word got out about its AI inference tie-up with startup SambaNova.
- SambaNova has secured $350 million in funding and named SoftBank as its first SN50 chip customer in Japan.
- Nvidia reports earnings after Wednesday’s close, with traders keeping a close eye. Intel is set to appear at an investor conference on March 4.
Shares of Intel (INTC) surged roughly 6% Tuesday after AI chip firm SambaNova Systems announced a multi-year partnership with the U.S. semiconductor giant. After closing at $46.12, the stock slipped about 0.2% in late after-hours action.
Wall Street’s attention has turned sharply to “inference”—that’s the business of running trained AI models in apps and data centers, not simply training them. Companies big and small are now racing to squeeze down the power draw and the price tag for each query in inference hardware, a contest that’s drawing in both established giants and newcomers.
Chip stocks have another hurdle coming up, with Nvidia set to release its results after the bell Wednesday—a key moment for gauging Big Tech’s appetite for AI investment. Early Wednesday, U.S. stock index futures ticked modestly higher, following a bumpy ride for equities so far in February.
SambaNova has pulled in $350 million from a funding round fronted by Vista Equity Partners and Cambium Capital, with Intel Capital joining in, according to the company. SoftBank Corp is on deck as the launch customer for SambaNova’s SN50 chip, planning to roll it out at AI data centers in Japan. The collaboration, SambaNova said, is focused on building AI inference systems that keep costs down.
Intel keeps pushing to carve out more space for itself in data-center AI, where Nvidia’s accelerators dominate and the software landscape makes it tough for rivals to break in. Announcements pitching “GPU alternatives” usually spark quick interest—sometimes before a single purchase order is even in play.
Intel shares kicked off Tuesday around $44.10, then swung from roughly $43.54 to $46.60. Volume picked up compared to the session before, fueling the day’s rally.
SambaNova CEO Rodrigo Liang put it bluntly: “AI is no longer a contest to build the biggest model.” Intel’s data-center head, Kevork Kechichian, echoed that shift, saying customers are after “more choice” as they expand AI. And IDC’s Peter Rutten pointed to a new dynamic: the SN50 chip, he said, reworks “tokenomics”—shifting the economics of cost per token on large-scale inference. SambaNova
Intel plans to center the collaboration on its Xeon server chips, positioning it next to its own GPU-powered data center lineup as those enter the market. The company emphasized the deal leaves its larger AI ambitions unchanged.
Still, not every partnership translates to real dollars. Inference buyers often drag their feet before leaving tried-and-true software stacks. Should Nvidia’s tools keep their grip and alternative supply stay tight, Tuesday’s rally could evaporate just as fast.
Timing and disclosure are still unclear. SambaNova has mentioned plans to ship SN50 later this year, but neither Intel nor the startup has specified what the partnership will mean for shipments in the near term—or how much Intel is actually putting in.
Eyes are on the rest of the chip stocks, too. Nvidia’s report drops after the bell on Feb. 25, and it can move the entire group, not just Nvidia. A blowout quarter? Sympathy trades get a boost. But if guidance turns cautious, the whole sector could fall through the floor.
Intel plans to participate in the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference on March 4, where CFO David Zinsner is scheduled for a fireside chat. For Intel investors, that’s the next marked event on the calendar after markets have absorbed Nvidia’s results.
