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Poolside

AI · San Francisco, California · Private

Poolside develops large language models focused on software development, along with the compute infrastructure to train them.

$12BLatest valuationPre-money, August 2026, as reported
$1BLatest fundingNvidia investment, as reported
$6BNvidia licensing dealAugust 2026, as reported
PrivatePublic statusNo confirmed IPO

The Company

Poolside was founded in 2023 by Jason Warner, a former GitHub CTO, and Eiso Kant. It builds AI models for coding and software development, released open-weight models including Laguna, and is developing Project Horizon, a 2-gigawatt AI campus in Pecos County, Texas.

Poolside raised a $500 million Series B at a $3 billion valuation in October 2024. Nvidia committed up to $1 billion in October 2025 at a $12 billion valuation, and in August 2026 an investor letter reported by Newcomer described a $6 billion non-exclusive licensing deal with Nvidia plus a $1 billion investment at a $12 billion pre-money valuation.

Why It Matters

Poolside is a bet that specialized coding models can compete with general AI labs, and its Nvidia licensing deal is an unusual way for a model company to monetize.

Valuation History

  1. $3B→Oct 2024$500M Series B
  2. $12B→Oct 2025Nvidia investment of up to $1B
  3. $12B→Aug 2026Pre-money, reported

What Changed

  1. Poolside is founded by Jason Warner and Eiso Kant.

  2. A $500M Series B values Poolside at $3B.

  3. Nvidia commits up to $1B at a $12B valuation; Project Horizon begins construction.

  4. A reported $6B Nvidia licensing deal and $1B investment at $12B pre-money.

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