Nvidia to invest in five UK startups spanning AI, biology and quantum computing
Jensen Huang names Boltz, Foresight, Hiverge, Prima Mente and Riverlane as new bets, taking minority stakes as Nvidia deepens its UK ecosystem ties.
Nvidia is to invest in five UK startups, chief executive Jensen Huang announced at an event in London last night, extending the chipmaker’s reach into Britain’s technology sector.
The five companies are AI drug discovery startup Boltz, infrastructure predictor Foresight, AI logistics planning startup Hiverge, AI biology startup Prima Mente and quantum computing startup Riverlane. Nvidia is understood to be taking a minority stake in each.
A widening UK portfolio
The new bets add to Nvidia’s existing UK investments, which include Basecamp Research, Ineffable Intelligence, Synthesia and Wayve. Together the moves point to a chipmaker keen to embed itself across multiple layers of the UK’s AI and deep tech ecosystem, from drug discovery to quantum computing, rather than backing a single category of startup.
For the five companies, Nvidia’s backing brings not just capital but a high-profile endorsement from the dominant supplier of AI computing hardware, which could help with future fundraising, hiring and access to compute.
Part of a wider European push
The UK announcement came just hours after Nvidia revealed investments in four French startups: healthtech company Doctolib, AI startup Entalpic, robotics startup Genesis AI and enterprise software firm Pigment. Nvidia also confirmed a $250m compute donation to UK AI safety and research.
Taken together, the French and UK moves, alongside the compute donation, suggest Nvidia is positioning itself as a central backer of Europe’s AI ambitions at a time when questions persist about the continent’s ability to compete with the US and China on frontier AI development.
Huang on China and the UK’s position
Speaking outside the London event, Huang was asked about the West’s relationship with China amid safety concerns in the AI race. He said dialogue with Chinese researchers should continue, telling a Bloomberg reporter: “I have dialogue with many researchers in China, and we ought to continue to exchange dialogue. United States should do it. I advocate that the UK do that same thing.”
Huang added that the UK is “phenomenally well positioned” because of its intellectual capital and global standing, a comment that will be read in Westminster and in the UK’s AI research community as an endorsement of Britain’s role in global AI policy discussions.
What it means for the UK ecosystem
The investments give five UK startups, spanning healthcare AI, logistics, biology and quantum computing, fresh backing from one of the most closely watched investors in global tech. They also reinforce London’s position as a stop on Nvidia’s European investment tour, alongside Paris.
For the UK government, which has sought to position Britain as a hub for AI safety research, the $250m compute donation alongside the startup investments will be seen as validation of that strategy, even as questions remain about how the UK can translate such backing into long-term, independent compute capacity.
What to watch next
Attention will now turn to the size and terms of each investment, none of which have been disclosed, and to how Boltz, Foresight, Hiverge, Prima Mente and Riverlane deploy the backing. Further Nvidia moves in Europe, and any response from UK policymakers to Huang’s comments on China, are also worth watching.