NVIDIA to acquire Hugging Face for $12.9 billion, 18 million users
Technology
NVIDIA is buying Hugging Face for $12.9 billion.
Started by three French founders, Hugging Face has grown into a global force with more than two million models and 18 million users, thanks to its open, community-driven approach that sets it apart from closed-off rivals like OpenAI and Google.
Delangue hopes deal spurs European investment
Even though Hugging Face was founded in New York, its roots are French, and a big part of its team and investors came from France while American investors provided the largest capital contributions.
The buyout is being called a "wake-up call" for Europe to back its own tech startups.
Founder Clement Delangue hopes this move inspires more investment in European tech and keeps the spirit of open-source AI alive.