SemiAnalysis says several neoclouds were refused access to Nvidia's GTC Berlin after adding AMD GPUs, TPUs and other chips
SHOCKING: We have confirmed that multiple Neoclouds have been refused access to GTC Berlin due to them adding AMD GPUs, TPUs, and other chips to their cloud offerings Note that this doesn't apply to hyperscalers, as they have more buying power. But for neoclouds, executives feel NVIDIA has been using high-pressure tactics to keep them NVIDIA-only. As such, neocloud executives are starting to consider offering TPUs or AMD GPUs quietly to avoid getting pressured by NVIDIA and to avoid the feeling that NVIDIA will retaliate.
Context
If Nvidia pressures smaller cloud providers to avoid rival chips, it would raise competition concerns as AMD and Google push for share.
This is a first hand report from the research firm SemiAnalysis, which says it confirmed the refusals but does not name the companies. Nvidia has not publicly responded.
Deep dive
On October 16, SemiAnalysis posted that it had confirmed that multiple neoclouds were refused access to GTC Berlin because they added AMD GPUs, TPUs and other chips to their cloud offerings. It said this does not apply to hyperscalers, which have more buying power, but that neocloud executives feel Nvidia has used high pressure tactics to keep them Nvidia only.
SemiAnalysis said neocloud executives are starting to consider offering TPUs or AMD GPUs quietly to avoid pressure and the feeling that Nvidia will retaliate. It quoted its own earlier post, in which it said many neocloud executives feel Nvidia will retaliate if they use non Nvidia networking gear or offer AMD GPUs or TPUs.
Neoclouds are specialist cloud companies, such as CoreWeave and Nebius, that rent GPUs for AI work. Reports on the post note that it did not name the affected companies or specify the criteria for refusal.
GTC Berlin is Nvidia's European developer conference. Handelsblatt reported on October 15 that Jensen Huang is expected in Berlin next week amid a planned German government AI partnership with Nvidia, as covered in that day's deck.
What to expect next
Watch for any response from Nvidia, and whether affected neoclouds speak publicly or are named in later reporting.
Also watch whether competition regulators in Europe or the US take an interest in claims that Nvidia pressures customers, and whether neoclouds expand AMD and TPU offerings despite the reported pressure. Attendance at GTC Berlin itself may offer clues, as could comments from AMD or Google.