Unconventional, Inc. Targets $5B Valuation with AI Hardware Innovation

Naveen Rao, former head of AI at Databricks, is launching a new startup called Unconventional, Inc., which aims to raise $1 billion at a $5 billion valuation. The company is focused on developing a novel type of computer designed to achieve 'brain scale efficiency' in AI computing.

The funding round is led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), with participation from Lightspeed Ventures and Lux Capital. Rao has already secured hundreds of millions and plans to proceed with the startup's development without waiting for the full funding to close.

Rao's vision for Unconventional, Inc. involves creating a new computing paradigm that combines custom silicon chips and server infrastructure, aiming to compete directly with established players like Nvidia. The startup's approach is to rethink the foundations of computing to build a substrate for intelligence that is as efficient as biological systems.