The European Commission (EU) is investigating Nvidia's proposed acquisition of Israeli startup Run:ai, announced in April. The EU's antitrust regulators are sending questionnaires to Nvidia customers and small businesses, focusing on potential anti-competitive effects of bundling GPU hardware and software.
Run:ai specializes in workload orchestration software designed to optimize AI computing resources. The EU has stated that Nvidia requires antitrust clearance before proceeding with the deal.
“The transaction threatens to significantly affect competition... which are likely to be at least European Economic Area-wide...” - EU statement to Reuters.
The questionnaire, seen by Reuters, asks Nvidia's customers if bundling GPU Orchestration Software with hardware would provide a competitive advantage. It also inquires whether customers have been incentivized or required to purchase such bundles. Additionally, the EU is seeking feedback on the potential impact of Nvidia open-sourcing Run:ai's software.
Run:ai and Nvidia have been close collaborators since 2020. The investigation's outcome will determine whether the acquisition proceeds and under what conditions.
