AMD Ventures Backs Self-Driving Startup Turing, Gains AI Compute Foothold

What happened

Turing Inc., a Tokyo-based autonomous driving startup, announced that AMD Ventures has joined its list of backers. The company also began integrating AMD graphics processing units into its AI infrastructure, handling roughly 10% of its AI training needs with AMD accelerators. This marks a notable shift for Turing, which has historically relied exclusively on Nvidia hardware for AI training and inferencing since its founding in 2021. The startup recently raised $79 million through an equity and debt extension to its Series A round, which it closed last year. Following the extension, Turing was valued at approximately $600 million, according to sources familiar with the matter. The exact size of AMD Ventures' investment was not disclosed.

Why it matters

For AMD, this partnership represents a foothold in the autonomous driving AI market, a sector that has been dominated by Nvidia. Turing's decision to diversify its GPU suppliers could signal broader industry interest in alternative AI accelerators, particularly as companies seek to manage costs and reduce supply chain concentration. The startup is aiming to offer its software in the consumer market and driverless robotaxis as early as 2028, positioning AMD's hardware in a potentially high-growth application area. Turing's CFO Masato Morishima indicated that diversifying GPU suppliers could help lower costs in the capital-intensive autonomous driving market, which may resonate with other startups and automakers facing similar budget pressures.

Bigger picture

The autonomous driving sector is becoming increasingly competitive, especially in Japan. Nissan Motor, UK-based AI startup Wayve Technologies, and ride-hailing company Uber are planning a robotaxi tie-up in Tokyo by the end of this year. Turing is also working with Subaru and DENSO under Japan's METI/NEDO GENIAC initiative, a government-backed program focused on integrating end-to-end autonomous systems into production vehicles. As the market moves closer to commercialization, the choice of AI hardware becomes critical. AMD's entry into Turing's tech stack suggests the chipmaker is actively pursuing opportunities beyond its broader AI accelerator push, potentially challenging Nvidia's dominance in this niche but rapidly expanding market.

What to watch

Investors should monitor whether Turing expands its use of AMD GPUs beyond the current 10% of AI training workloads, and whether other autonomous driving startups or automakers follow suit. Any announcements regarding the scope of AMD Ventures' investment or deeper technical collaboration would provide insight into AMD's strategic ambitions in the autonomous vehicle space. Additionally, Turing's progress toward its 2028 commercial launch target and its partnerships with established automakers like Subaru and DENSO will be key indicators of AMD's potential market penetration in this sector.