Nvidia Groq deal signals integration

Nvidia just pulled a very Nvidia move with @GroqInc. On paper, it is a $20B non‑exclusive IP license for Groq’s LPU and a bunch of its leadership team. In practice, it looks a lot like the Mellanox playbook for the inference layer. If you squint, this is: - An acquihire of some of the best ultra low latency inference folks on the planet - A way to wire specialized ASIC IP directly into Nvidia’s AI factory stack - And a real time experiment in “how far can you go toward vertical integration without triggering a full merger review” Some notes as someone who exited in an untraditional way: 1. “Non‑exclusive license” can still mean “we just locked in the critical path talent and roadmap.” 2. Vertical integration in AI is accelerating. Owning the compiler, runtime, silicon, and data center is becoming the default ambition, not a moonshot. 3. If you are building deep infra, the exit surface area is bigger than “classic acquisition” or “go public”. Creative deal structures are very much on the menu! Also, if your pitch deck says low latency inference, investors are now going to ask, “So… how are you not going to get Groq’ed by @NVIDIA?”