Chipmaker Nvidia has introduced a new revenue-sharing programme designed to support fast-growing artificial intelligence startups by providing access to computing power in exchange for a share of future revenue.
The company announced that the initiative will offer token credits to AI startups to help power their development.
Under the programme, cloud-based AI companies, model developers and other enterprises will share product and cloud revenue with Nvidia.
The move positions Nvidia as an intermediary that helps startups gain direct access to full-stack computing infrastructure powered by its graphics processing units (GPUs).
Australian partners to provide computing infrastructure
As part of the announcement, Nvidia named two Australian companies that will provide compute capacity for the programme.
Sharon AI will deploy up to 40,000 Nvidia GPUs under the initiative.
Meanwhile, AI infrastructure company Firmus Technologies said it is developing a data centre in Batam, Indonesia.
The facility is expected to scale to 360 megawatts and accommodate up to 170,000 Nvidia GPUs.
The partnerships are intended to expand access to computing infrastructure for AI companies seeking to build and scale their operations.
Compute access remains a key challenge
NVDA’s latest initiative highlights the growing importance of access to computing power for AI-focused startups.
GPUs have become one of the industry’s most sought-after resources.
They have been compared to oil because of their strategic importance, while fluctuations in pricing and availability have reportedly led to arrangements resembling futures contracts.
At the same time, AI companies have increasingly entered into revenue-sharing and equity-sharing agreements with chipmakers to address liquidity constraints within the sector.
OpenAI has previously entered into agreements with partners, including Amazon and AMD, involving investments or share purchases, according to a CNBC report published in January.
Separately, Nvidia said earlier this month that it plans to raise debt.
The offering could total at least $20 billion.
The company said the proceeds are intended for general corporate purposes, including the repayment and refinancing of existing debt.
Nvidia shares decline as investors rotate within the semiconductor sector
Nvidia shares edged lower on Thursday, extending a recent pullback.
The stock opened higher and briefly reclaimed the $200 level before reversing course.
Shares were down about 1% in early trading after closing below the $200 mark on Wednesday.
The stock has struggled to remain above that level in recent weeks.
Although Nvidia continues to be viewed as one of the primary beneficiaries of rising investment in artificial intelligence, its shares have underperformed several semiconductor peers in 2026 as investor interest has broadened across the industry.
Investor focus shifts across the AI supply chain
The recent weakness comes after a strong first half for semiconductor stocks.
The VanEck Semiconductor ETF gained more than 70% during the first six months of 2026, marking its strongest first-half performance since the fund’s launch in 2000.
Following that rally, several of the sector’s biggest gainers have experienced pullbacks as investors took profits.
Despite maintaining its leadership in GPUs used for AI workloads, Nvidia has trailed much of the broader semiconductor sector’s advance.
Investor attention has increasingly shifted to other parts of the AI supply chain.
Memory chip manufacturers have benefited from supply constraints and rising demand.
Meanwhile, companies focused on central processing units (CPUs) have attracted greater investor interest amid expectations that next-generation agentic AI systems will require significantly more computing resources than GPUs alone.
Micron has been among the biggest beneficiaries of the memory cycle.
Advanced Micro Devices and Intel have also gained from expectations that demand for CPUs will accelerate alongside continued expansion of AI infrastructure.
The shift in investor sentiment has created a more competitive investment environment for Nvidia, even as demand for its products remains strong.
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