Ex-Goldman Banker’s AI Chip Company Secures SoftBank Funding

Kandou AI, an artificial-intelligence chip company led by a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. managing director, raised $225 million from investors including Maverick Silicon, SoftBank Group Corp. and Synopsys Inc.

Other investors included Cadence Design Systems Inc. and Alchip, according to a statement Monday. The latest funding round values the startup at $400 million, according to Chief Executive Officer Srujan Linga.

Since Linga took over in 2025, the company, which was founded 2011, has been pivoting its focus away from consumer electronics and more to AI infrastructure to seize on the booming demand for the products underpinning ...