Nvidia recently finalized a significant licensing deal with AI chip startup Groq, reportedly valued at $20 billion. This agreement focuses on Groq's inference technology and includes Nvidia hiring key staff, such as Groq's CEO Jonathan Ross and President Sunny Madra. Despite these changes, Groq will maintain its independence, with Simon Edwards stepping in as its new CEO. This strategic move underscores Nvidia's commitment to enhancing AI inference capabilities, aiming for faster and more cost-effective AI serving economics, and potentially easing pressure on HBM memory supply in 2026. Meanwhile, Meta faces scrutiny from Italy's antitrust authority, which ordered the company to stop WhatsApp terms that could block rival AI chatbots. Meta plans to appeal this decision. In other chip news, South Korean prosecutors charged 10 individuals for leaking memory chip manufacturing secrets, highlighting the critical importance of memory chips for AI infrastructure. The broader AI market continues to see robust activity. Twilio, a cloud communications platform and an AI leader, has seen its stock gain 30% this year and is poised for further growth. Y Combinator founders successfully raised millions in seed funding in 2025 for diverse AI solutions, with their recent batches consistently growing revenue by about 10% week-over-week. Investment in the creator economy also surged in 2025, with 13 startups raising approximately $2 billion. Eight AI startups, developing content creation tools, collectively secured $1.2 billion, including Synthesia and ElevenLabs each raising $180 million. For investors seeking stability, Apple stock is suggested as a secure choice amidst AI bubble concerns, given its increased AI spending and focus on user privacy. Analysts rate Apple as a "Moderate Buy" with a target price of $290.85. Looking ahead to 2026, Salesforce and Oracle emerge as potential affordable AI stock options. Salesforce, a cloud communications platform, trades at a low forward price-to-earnings ratio of just over 20.0, with analysts optimistic about its AI strategy. Oracle aggressively expands its data centers and serves OpenAI, trading at a reasonable 28.6 times forward P/E. In the critical chip manufacturing sector, ASML provides essential extreme ultraviolet lithography machines to TSMC, which holds a dominant 70% market share in advanced chip production. Celestica, a Toronto-headquartered company, also plays a crucial role in building AI infrastructure, with its stock surging over 200% in the last year and third-quarter revenue increasing 18% to $2.1 billion due to strong AI-related hardware demand.
Key Takeaways
- Nvidia finalized a significant licensing deal with AI chip startup Groq, reportedly valued at $20 billion, focusing on inference technology.
- The Nvidia-Groq deal includes Nvidia hiring Groq's CEO Jonathan Ross and President Sunny Madra, while Groq maintains its independence with Simon Edwards as its new CEO.
- Italy's antitrust authority ordered Meta to cease WhatsApp terms that might block rival AI chatbots, a decision Meta plans to appeal.
- Twilio, a cloud communications platform and AI leader, has seen its stock gain 30% this year and is positioned for continued growth.
- Y Combinator founders raised millions in seed funding in 2025 for AI solutions, with recent batches showing 10% week-over-week revenue growth.
- Creator economy startups secured $2 billion in funding in 2025, with eight AI startups raising $1.2 billion for content creation tools.
- Apple stock is considered a stable investment amid AI bubble fears, increasing its AI spending and focusing on user privacy.
- Salesforce and Oracle are highlighted as potential affordable AI stocks for 2026; Salesforce trades at a low forward P/E, and Oracle expands data centers, serving OpenAI.
- ASML supplies crucial extreme ultraviolet lithography machines to TSMC, which holds a dominant 70% market share in advanced chip manufacturing.
- Celestica's stock surged over 200% in the last year, with third-quarter revenue up 18% to $2.1 billion, driven by strong demand for AI-related hardware platforms.
Nvidia Groq Deal and Meta Probe Lead AI Stock News
On December 25, 2025, even with US markets closed for Christmas, AI stock news stayed active. Nvidia made a deal with AI chip startup Groq, licensing its inference technology and hiring key staff like CEO Jonathan Ross. Groq will stay independent, and this move shows Nvidia's focus on AI inference. Italy's antitrust authority ordered Meta to stop WhatsApp terms that might block rival AI chatbots, a decision Meta plans to appeal. Investors are also watching 2026 forecasts for AI spending and company earnings.
Nvidia Buys AI Chip Maker Groq for $20 Billion
Nvidia will acquire AI chip specialist Groq for about $20 billion in cash. This marks Nvidia's largest acquisition ever, showing its strong focus on AI inference hardware. The deal includes Groq's core chip design and related assets, but not its Groq Cloud business. Groq, founded in 2016, had received over $500 million in investments. This move highlights the growing competition in the AI chip market, especially for inference, and may face regulatory review.
Nvidia Groq Deal and Memory Leaks Impact AI Market
On December 26, 2025, AI stocks continued to see major developments. Nvidia made a non-exclusive licensing deal with AI chip startup Groq, bringing Groq's CEO Jonathan Ross and President Sunny Madra to Nvidia. Groq will remain independent, with Simon Edwards becoming its new CEO. This deal emphasizes the importance of AI inference and represents a new way for big tech to gain talent and technology. Meanwhile, memory chips are crucial for AI, and South Korean prosecutors charged 10 people for leaking memory chip manufacturing secrets.
Twilio AI Stock Poised to Extend 30 Percent Gain
Twilio Inc., a cloud communications platform, is a leader in the AI sector. Its stock has already seen a significant 30% gain this year. The company's stock is currently in a "buy zone" after breaking past its recent buy point. This suggests that Twilio is ready to continue its upward trend in the coming weeks. Investors are closely watching Twilio as a potential breakout stock in the AI market.
Twilio Stock Poised for More AI Growth
Twilio, founded in 2008, operates as a cloud-based communications platform. It provides tools that let app developers add voice, text messaging, and video features. The company is considered an AI leader, and its stock has already gained 30% this year. Twilio stock is currently in a buy zone and looks ready to increase its year-to-date gains.
Nvidia Groq $20 Billion License Fuels AI Trade
On December 24, 2025, Nvidia's $20 billion licensing deal with Groq fueled the AI trade. Nvidia is licensing Groq's inference technology and hiring its CEO, Jonathan Ross, while Groq remains independent. This move aims to make AI inference faster and cheaper, improving AI serving economics. The Nasdaq 100 saw a slight increase, and the deal could help ease pressure on HBM memory supply in 2026 by allowing more efficient memory use.
Y Combinator Founders Raise Millions in AI Boom
In 2025, Y Combinator founders successfully raised millions in seed funding, taking advantage of the AI boom. Increasingly younger teams launched companies offering various AI solutions, from legal tools to generative AI for games. These founders are also using AI to speed up their development processes. Y Combinator reports that its recent batches are consistently growing revenue by about 10% week-over-week. The article shares examples of pitch decks used by these successful early-stage founders.
Apple Stock Offers Stability Amid AI Bubble Fears
As 2025 ends, Apple (AAPL) stock is suggested as a stable choice for investors worried about an AI bubble. While Apple has been seen as an "AI laggard," it has increased its spending on AI. The company's strong focus on user privacy could also be a unique advantage. Apple's stock did not surge as much from the AI rally, making it less risky if an AI bubble bursts. Analysts rate AAPL as a "Moderate Buy" with a target price of $290.85.
Two Cheap AI Stocks to Consider for 2026
For investors looking for affordable AI stocks in 2026, Salesforce (CRM) and Oracle (ORCL) are highlighted as potential winners. Salesforce, a cloud communications platform, trades at a low forward price-to-earnings ratio of just over 20.0. Analysts are optimistic about its AI strategy and revenue growth. Oracle is aggressively expanding its data centers and serves OpenAI. Its stock trades at a reasonable 28.6 times forward P/E, with some analysts believing its recent sell-off is "overdone."
Creator Economy Startups Raise $2 Billion in 2025
In 2025, 13 startups in the creator economy raised approximately $2 billion in funding. This investment surge is driven by advancements in AI and the growth of social commerce. Eight AI startups, developing tools for content creation, collectively secured $1.2 billion, with companies like Synthesia and ElevenLabs each raising $180 million. Social commerce platforms also attracted significant capital, as US social commerce sales are expected to surpass $100 billion next year. Notable funded companies include Animaj, Fixated, Krea, Manychat, Moonvalley, ShopMy, Suno, and Whatnot.
ASML Versus TSMC Which AI Stock Is Better
Investors are comparing ASML and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) as key AI stocks. ASML creates essential extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machines, costing $400 million each, which TSMC uses to make advanced chips. ASML also has a strong maintenance business, earning nearly 23 billion euros in nine months of 2025. TSMC holds a dominant 70% market share in advanced chip manufacturing and saw its revenue jump 36% to $87 billion in the first nine months of 2025. While TSMC has a larger client base and a slightly lower P/E ratio, it faces geopolitical risks due to its location in Taiwan.
Celestica My Top AI Stock to Buy and Hold
For investors who missed Nvidia's rally, Celestica (CLS) is highlighted as a top AI stock to buy and hold. This Toronto-headquartered company designs and manufactures hardware platforms and offers supply chain solutions for data centers and cloud customers. Celestica plays a crucial role in building AI infrastructure, and its stock has surged over 200% in the last year to $407 per share. The company's third-quarter revenue increased 18% year-over-year to $2.1 billion, driven by strong demand for AI-related hardware platforms and multi-year investments from hyperscalers.
Sources
- AI Stocks Today (Dec. 25, 2025): Nvidia’s Groq Deal, Meta’s WhatsApp Probe, and the 2026 AI Spending Forecasts Moving Markets
- Nvidia makes its biggest purchase ever
- AI Stocks Today (Dec. 26, 2025): Nvidia’s Groq Deal, China’s “Hard Tech” Push, and the Global Data-Center Arms Race
- Breakout watch: AI leader Twilio set to extend its 30% YTD gain
- Breakout Watch: AI Leader Twilio Set To Extend Its 30% YTD Gain
- ^NDX Today: December 24 - Nvidia-Groq $20B License Fuels AI Trade
- Y Combinator founders used these pitch decks to raise millions
- AI Bubble Fears Scaring You Off? Buy This Magnificent 7 Stock for Stability.
- 2 Cheaper AI Stocks to Buy for 2026
- These 13 creator economy startups pulled in about $2 billion in funding this year
- Better Artificial Intelligence Stock: ASML vs. Taiwan Semiconductor
- Missed Out on NVIDIA? My Best AI Stock to Buy and Hold
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