SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA / RankWire.AI / – Nvidia has finalized a $12.93 billion agreement to purchase artificial intelligence platform Hugging Face. The definitive deal was signed on September 2, 2026. Nvidia will pay approximately $11.9 billion to Hugging Face stockholders, subject to standard adjustments. Additionally, the transaction includes the potential for around $1 billion in equity-based retention awards for eligible employees. Nvidia anticipates the deal will be completed in the first half of 2027, pending regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.
Hugging Face hosts one of the largest AI model-sharing platforms, offering datasets, software tools, and applications. Nvidia reports that the platform reaches over 18 million developers, researchers, and creators worldwide. Its infrastructure contains more than 3 million models, roughly 500,000 datasets, and access to over 1 million applications. More than 200,000 companies leverage Hugging Face’s services for AI development, evaluation, customization, and deployment across various computing environments.
The firms confirmed that Hugging Face will continue functioning as an open platform after the completion of the acquisition. Developers will still be free to select their models, frameworks, cloud services, and computing platforms. The use of Nvidia hardware will not become obligatory for employing Hugging Face tools or deploying models through the platform. The company will also persist in supporting open-source and open-weight models created by other developers. Its services will maintain compatibility with multiple clouds, inference providers, and hardware accelerators, including products from other semiconductor manufacturers.
Hugging Face to Sustain Open Development Practices
Hugging Face was founded in 2016 by Clément Delangue, Julien Chaumond, and Thomas Wolf. Over time, the company expanded into hosting models, datasets, developer libraries, and cloud services tailored for artificial intelligence projects. During a funding round concluded in August 2023, Hugging Face attained a valuation of $4.5 billion, raising $235 million from tech investors. Prior to the acquisition, Nvidia had already collaborated with Hugging Face through projects that linked developers to Nvidia’s computing resources and software via familiar development tools.
Nvidia disclosed the agreement through a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on September 3, 2026. The filing states that the acquisition is still pending and has not yet been finalized. It remains subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions. Nvidia also outlined commitments concerning the future operation of Hugging Face, including continued access to models and datasets, multi-cloud support, and compatibility with hardware accelerators from other companies besides Nvidia.
Expected Completion in the First Half of 2027
Nvidia already maintains a significant presence within the Hugging Face developer community. The company reports having published more than 500 models and over 250 open datasets on the platform. Additionally, Nvidia offers software libraries and development tools that users can modify and integrate into their projects. Hugging Face supports developers throughout various phases of AI development, from model discovery to testing, customization, and deployment. It also offers infrastructure for corporations, research groups, and independent developers creating AI applications.
The acquisition by Nvidia will remain under review until all conditions are satisfied. Nvidia projects the deal will close during the first half of 2027. Under the announced terms, Hugging Face will continue supporting models and tools from the larger AI ecosystem. Developers will retain choices regarding frameworks, cloud platforms, inference providers, and hardware. Both companies have committed to maintaining Hugging Face’s multi-cloud and multi-accelerator strategy post-acquisition.