News Summary

Naveen Rao, former head of AI at Databricks, is launching a new AI hardware startup, Unconventional Inc., with a targeted valuation of $5 billion. The company plans to create a novel computer substrate that achieves ‘Brain Scale Efficiency’ without biological constraints. Rao is raising $1 billion to support this vision, with Andreessen Horowitz leading the investment, alongside Lightspeed, Lux Capital, and Databricks. This venture follows Rao’s previous success with MosaicML, acquired by Databricks in 2023 for $1.3 billion. Unconventional Inc. aims to challenge Nvidia by developing custom silicon chips and server infrastructure, marking a significant leap in AI technology.