Google researchers launch Ricursive as Nvidia surpasses Apple

Key Takeaways

• Ricursive Intelligence, an AI chip startup, raised $300 million in Series A funding on January 26, 2026, valuing the company at $4 billion just two months after launch, with founders from Google's AlphaChip research.
• NVIDIA surpassed Apple as TSMC's largest customer, with NVIDIA's share of TSMC's sales reaching 22% in Q4 last year due to high AI chip demand.
• TSMC, a key manufacturer for NVIDIA and AMD, achieved $122.4 billion in revenue in 2025, a 36% increase, and its stock trades at 23 times forward earnings.
• Micron Technology is positioned for strong profit growth from AI-fueled memory, particularly high-bandwidth memory (HBM), with demand expected to exceed supply through 2025.
• Arm Holdings stock was upgraded to "Positive" by Susquehanna on January 21, citing strong growth in AI silicon and server CPUs, benefiting its licensing model.
• SentinelOne's stock rose on January 27, 2026, as Citron Research highlighted its AI security capabilities, especially after acquiring Prompt Security to protect autonomous AI agents like Clawdbot.
• Palo Alto Networks is a strong choice for securing AI data centers, reporting Q1 2026 revenue up 20% to $1.95 billion and targeting $15 billion to $20 billion in annual recurring revenue by FY 2030.
• Meta Platforms Inc. will report Q4 earnings on February 1, 2023, with investors focused on its significant AI and metaverse investments and their return amidst a slower digital advertising market.
• BigBear.ai, an AI solutions provider, faces profitability challenges and plans to seek shareholder approval on February 18 to double its authorized shares from 500 million to 1 billion, potentially diluting stock.
• The Etf Opportunities Trust Rex Ai Equity Premium Income Etf (AIPI) uses AI models to create three distinct trading strategies for various risk levels and holding times.

Ricursive Intelligence Secures $300 Million for AI Chip Design

Ricursive Intelligence raised $300 million in Series A funding on January 26, 2026, valuing the company at $4 billion. Lightspeed Venture Partners led the round, with other investors including DST Global and Sequoia Capital. Founders Dr Anna Goldie and Dr Azalia Mirhoseini aim to rebuild the chip design process using advanced AI systems. This funding will help Ricursive scale research, expand compute capacity, and hire more researchers. They believe this recursive feedback cycle will lead to faster AI breakthroughs by letting AI design its own silicon.

Ricursive AI Chip Startup Reaches $4 Billion Valuation Fast

Ricursive Intelligence, an AI chip startup, raised $300 million in Series A funding on January 26, 2026. This investment values the company at $4 billion, just two months after its launch. Former Google researchers Anna Goldie and Azalia Mirhoseini founded Ricursive, which develops an AI system to design and improve AI chips. Investors like DST Global, NVentures, and Felicis Ventures joined the round, following an earlier seed investment led by Sequoia. The company aims to create a system that can design its own silicon and speed up AI chip improvements.

Ricursive AI Chip Company Valued at $4 Billion Quickly

Ricursive Intelligence, an AI chip startup, raised $300 million in Series A funding, reaching a $4 billion valuation. This happened just two months after its public launch, with Lightspeed leading the round and Sequoia leading an earlier seed round. The company, founded by former Google researchers Anna Goldie and Azalia Mirhoseini, builds AI systems that design and improve AI chips. Their technology comes from Google's AlphaChip research. Ricursive has now raised $335 million in total, joining other AI chip startups like Recursive and Unconventional AI with high valuations.

SentinelOne Stock Climbs on Strong AI Security Report

SentinelOne stock rose about 1% on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, after Citron Research released a positive report. Citron highlighted SentinelOne's strong position in protecting autonomous AI agents, especially after acquiring Prompt Security. This technology helps address security risks from AI agents like Clawdbot by inspecting commands in real-time to prevent data leaks. Citron believes SentinelOne offers a "governance layer for the agentic ecosystem," unlike traditional antivirus. The research firm also noted SentinelOne's stock trades at a much lower valuation than competitors like Cloudflare, calling it a "coiled spring."

SentinelOne Shares Jump on AI Security Potential

SentinelOne Inc. shares rose over 3% on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, after Citron Research called it a "critical infrastructure play" for AI security. Citron noted SentinelOne's August 2025 acquisition of Prompt Security helps address risks from AI agents like Clawdbot. Prompt Security's MCP Gateway acts as a real-time filter, inspecting AI actions and preventing data leaks or unauthorized use. Citron also highlighted SentinelOne's valuation, trading at 4.9 times price-to-sales, much lower than Cloudflare's 18 times. This positions SentinelOne strongly in the emerging "Clawdbot era" of endpoint security.

TSMC Stock Offers Value Amid Strong AI Chip Growth

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, is a key player in AI chip manufacturing, making chips for companies like Nvidia and AMD. In 2025, TSMC achieved its first $100 billion revenue year, reaching $122.4 billion, a 36% increase from 2024. Despite its strong growth and market dominance, TSMC's stock trades at 23 times forward earnings, which is lower than competitors like Broadcom and Nvidia. The stock has risen 69% since early 2025, but analysts still see it as a good value for long-term investors.

NVIDIA Overtakes Apple as TSMC's Top Customer

NVIDIA has become Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC)'s largest customer, surpassing Apple, according to a TrendForce report on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. NVIDIA's share of TSMC's sales jumped to 22% in the fourth quarter of last year, up from 11% in the third quarter. This surge comes from the high demand for AI chips, with NVIDIA's GPUs widely used in data centers and AI servers. Apple's share fell to 18% from 20%, partly due to diversifying its chip manufacturing and slower iPhone sales. This shift highlights the growing importance of the AI market and NVIDIA's leading role in providing necessary hardware.

Micron Stock Gets Boost From AI Memory Demand

On January 22, William Blair analyst Sebastien Naji started coverage on Micron Technology Inc. with an "Outperform" rating and a $100 price target. Naji believes Micron is well-positioned for strong profit growth due to the high demand for AI-fueled memory. He expects the AI-driven memory boom to last at least through 2025. Micron holds a strong position in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market, a key part of AI accelerators. The analyst predicts HBM demand will exceed supply, creating good pricing for Micron.

Meta Reports Q4 Earnings Amid AI Spending Worries

Meta Platforms Inc. will release its fourth-quarter financial results on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. Wall Street expects earnings per share of $1.91 and revenue of $31.94 billion, a drop from the previous year. Investors are closely watching Meta's large investments in AI and the metaverse. Concerns exist about the return on these long-term projects and the impact of a slower digital advertising market. Analysts will look for updates on cost-cutting and Meta's strategy for AI development and metaverse profitability.

Arm Stock Upgraded on Strong AI and Server Growth

On January 21, Susquehanna analyst Christopher Rolland upgraded Arm Holdings plc stock from Neutral to "Positive," keeping a $150 price target. Rolland sees the recent stock dip as a chance to buy, driven by strong growth in AI silicon and server CPUs. He noted Arm's licensing model benefits from rising AI chip demand and its custom silicon solutions will be key in the AI market. The analyst also highlighted Arm's growing presence in the server CPU market due to power efficiency and performance.

AIPI ETF Offers Precision Trading Strategies

The Etf Opportunities Trust Rex Ai Equity Premium Income Etf, ticker AIPI, uses AI models to create three trading strategies. These strategies are designed for different risk levels and holding times, with careful risk management. For example, a LONG strategy suggests an entry at $38.64 with a target of $41.02. A SHORT strategy has an entry at $41.02 and a target of $38.97. Signal analysis shows strong sentiment in the near-term and long-term, with neutrality in the mid-term.

Palo Alto Networks Leads AI Data Center Security

Palo Alto Networks is a strong choice for securing AI data centers, unlike Applied Digital which faces debt and profitability concerns. Palo Alto Networks earns 80% of its revenue from software subscriptions and support, with Q1 2026 revenue up 20% to $1.95 billion. The company focuses on next-gen security for AI applications and data centers, boosted by acquisitions like CyberArk and Chronosphere. Palo Alto Networks expects annual recurring revenue to reach $15 billion to $20 billion by fiscal year 2030. Wall Street analysts are largely positive, with 80% recommending a buy and a median price target of $230 per share.

BigBear.ai Faces Profitability and Stock Dilution Risks

BigBear.ai, which provides AI solutions to government and corporate clients, largely operates at a loss. Its Q3 2025 net profit of $2.5 million came from accounting changes, not business growth. The company's revenue has also declined from $43.8 million in Q4 2024 to $33.1 million in Q3 2025. BigBear.ai plans a special meeting on February 18 to ask shareholders to approve doubling its authorized shares from 500 million to 1 billion. This move could dilute existing stock, though the company currently holds $456.6 million in cash.

Sources

• Ricursive Intelligence Raises $300 Million To Accelerate AI Chip Design
• AI chip startup Ricursive hits $4B valuation two months after launch
• AI chip startup Ricursive hits $4B valuation in 2 months
• SentinelOne stock rises after Citron Research touts AI security edge By Investing.com
• SentinelOne Stock Rises After Citron Research Flags AI Security Opportunity Amid Clawdbot Buzz
• This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Is Trading at a Massive Discount Despite Red-Hot Growth
• NVIDIA Becomes TSMC's Largest Customer, Overtaking Apple in AI Shift
• Micron (MU) Draws Outperform Initiation on AI Memory Tailwinds
• Meta to report Q4 earnings amid AI spending concerns
• Arm (ARM) upgrade highlights AI and server CPU expansion potential
• $AIPI | Precision Trading with Etf Opportunities Trust Rex Ai Equity Premium Income Etf (#AIPI) Risk Zones (AIPI)
• Forget Applied Digital: This Cybersecurity Platform Giant Is the Smarter Bet on Securing All Those AI Data Centers
• Could BigBear.ai Stock Go to $0?