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Positron designs and manufactures hardware for AI inference, focusing on Transformer models. Its flagship system is a high-performance, low-power accelerator for data centers and research labs, offering a direct alternative to GPUs like NVIDIA’s H100/H200. The hardware provides dedicated compute optimized for transformer inference, enabling faster results while using less energy per operation to lower total cost of ownership. Positron also offers a developer portal with API documentation to help teams integrate and deploy the hardware into their AI pipelines, and aims to help practitioners run large-scale AI inference more efficiently while reducing operating costs.
Industries
Hardware
AI & Machine Learning
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
Series B
Total Funding
$305.1M
Headquarters
Reno, Nevada
Founded
2023
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Positron AI, a US-based artificial intelligence inference infrastructure developer, has opened its first international office at the Dubai International Financial Centre after securing an operating licence. The move marks the company's initial expansion outside the United States into the Middle East and North Africa region. The company has raised over $300 million to date, including a $230 million Series B round, and has deployed its technology with a major US hyperscale cloud provider. Positron's infrastructure addresses AI computing demand whilst reducing power consumption and costs. Its first-generation server, Atlas, runs large language model inference workloads for models with up to 500 billion active parameters, delivering performance comparable to Nvidia DGX-H100 systems at lower power and cost. A next-generation platform, Titan, is scheduled for release in Q1 2027.
Positron AI establishes first presence outside the US in DIFC to drive next-generation AI inference. Positron AI Ltd, a US-based developer of next-generation, specialised AI inference infrastructure, has established its first presence outside the US in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region. As a company that has raised over USD 300mn including a USD 230 million Series B round, deployed inference technology with a US hyperscaler, and achieved unicorn status, Positron marks a key milestone in its regional expansion with the DIFC licence. The move comes at a time when AI inference is becoming the dominant driver of compute demand globally. AI inference is the ability to deploy LLM models, operate, and scale systems reliably, economically, and within real-world constraints. Husni Khuffash, Managing Director MENA, Positron AI, said: "We are pleased to move to DIFC, a dynamic hub that is reflective of our commitment to innovation and pushing the boundaries of AI infrastructure. Positron AI's focus on power efficient, deployable inference solutions will help strengthen the wider ecosystem as demand accelerates for scalable AI capabilities. Establishing in DIFC positions Positron to engage closely with industry, regulators and partners, while contributing to Dubai's ambition to build globally competitive digital and AI capabilities." Mohammad Alblooshi, Chief Executive Officer of the DIFC Innovation Hub, said: "We are pleased to welcome Positron AI to the Dubai AI Campus' vast ecosystem. Positron AI brings a compelling approach to AI inference infrastructure that supports the next phase of growth across Dubai's technology and innovation landscape. The company's foundational ideology aligns with DIFC's evolution into an AI-Native jurisdiction and destination. Their expansion positions the Centre as a launchpad enabling scale and a gateway that empowers future industries, setting a global benchmark for AI governance and responsible innovation." Capturing a structural shift in AI demand from training models to scalable model inference solutions, Positron enables lower cost per token, higher memory density, and improved energy efficiency, positioning it as a next-generation alternative to traditional AI hardware providers. This proprietary infrastructure is designed to address key industry challenges, including high power consumption, memory constraints, and rising costs associated with GPU-based systems. With a mindset to deliver and differentiate, the company's first-generation server, Atlas, was designed to deliver LLM inference for small and medium-sized models (up to 500B active parameters) at a performance level similar to DGX-H100s but with lower power and cost. Positron's next-generation product, Titan, will be delivered in 1Q 2027 and expands capabilities to run frontier models with performance and power efficiency greater than NVIDIA's Rubin and Blackwell GPU systems. The rapidly evolving inference market underscores the critical need for advanced, scalable AI solutions. Positron, as a leading US-based innovator focused on inference, is uniquely positioned to enable sovereign, scalable, and sustainable AI deployments. Following the operations at DIFC, the company will launch offices in other locations in the region. Positron joins an ecosystem where AI will be embedded into enterprise workflows, compliance systems and financial services delivery, creating intelligent, automated and trusted financial ecosystems. Dubai's pro-innovation leadership, advanced digital infrastructure, regulatory agility and global connectivity provide a unique foundation for this supportive environment.
Positron has raised $230 million in Series B funding, achieving unicorn status with a $1 billion valuation. The startup is developing energy-efficient AI inference chips that reduce power consumption by up to 40% compared to existing solutions, aiming to challenge Nvidia's dominance in AI hardware. The round was led by Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Positron will use the capital to expand manufacturing capabilities, accelerate research and development, and scale enterprise partnerships. The company's chips support various AI models including large language models and computer vision applications. CEO Dr Emily Zhang emphasised energy efficiency as key to unlocking AI innovation. Industry analysts note Positron's technology addresses critical energy consumption bottlenecks, potentially enabling AI deployment in power-constrained environments whilst reducing operational costs and carbon footprints.
The investment comes from backers including the Qatar Investment Authority as demand for chips beyond Nvidia soars and as Qatar aims to build out its AI infrastructure.
EXCLUSIVE: Positron raises $230M collection B to tackle Nvidia's AI chips. Semiconductor startup Positron has secured $230 million in Series B funding, TechCrunch has exclusively learned. The semiconductor startup plans to use the capital to speed up deployment of its high-speed memory chips, a critical component for the chips used for AI workloads, sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. Investors in the round include Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the country's sovereign wealth fund, which has been increasingly focused on building out AI infrastructure, the sources said. The Reno-based startup's Series B comes as hyperscalers and AI firms push to reduce their reliance on longstanding leader Nvidia. These firms include OpenAI, which, despite being one of Nvidia's largest and most important customers, is reportedly unsatisfied with some of the firm's latest AI chips and has been seeking alternatives since last year. Meanwhile, Qatar, through QIA, has been accelerating a broader push into so-called "sovereign" AI infrastructure - a priority repeatedly underscored at Web Summit Qatar in Doha this week. Several sources told TechCrunch the country views compute capacity as critical to staying competitive on the global economic stage, and is positioning itself as a leading AI services hub in the Middle East, fueling interest in startups like Positron. The strategy is already taking shape through major commitments, including a $20 billion AI infrastructure joint venture with Brookfield Asset Management that was announced in September. Positron's fundraise brings the three-year-old startup's total capital raised to just over $300 million. The startup previously raised $75 million last year from investors including Valor Equity Partners, Atreides Management, DFJ Growth, Flume Ventures and Resilience Reserve. The company claims its first-generation chip Atlas, manufactured in Arizona, can match the performance of Nvidia's H100 GPUs for less than a third of the power. Positron is focused on inference - computing needed to run AI models for real-world applications - rather than training large language models, positioning the company as demand surges for inference hardware as businesses increasingly shift focus from building large models to deploying them at scale. Sources tell TechCrunch that beyond its memory capabilities, Positron's chips also perform strongly in high-frequency and video-processing workloads. TechCrunch has reached out to Positron for more information.
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Industries
Hardware
AI & Machine Learning
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
Series B
Total Funding
$305.1M
Headquarters
Reno, Nevada
Founded
2023
Find jobs on Simplify and start your career today