SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA / RankWire.AI / – Nvidia has finalized a $12.93 billion agreement to purchase artificial intelligence platform Hugging Face. The agreement was officially signed on September 2, 2026. Nvidia will pay approximately $11.9 billion to Hugging Face stockholders, subject to standard adjustments. Additionally, the deal includes up to about $1 billion in equity-based retention awards for eligible employees. Nvidia anticipates completing the acquisition in the first half of 2027, following necessary approvals and other closing conditions.
Hugging Face operates one of the largest platforms for sharing artificial intelligence models, datasets, software tools, and applications. Nvidia reports that its service reaches over 18 million developers, researchers, and creators globally. The platform hosts more than 3 million models and around 500,000 datasets, along with access to over 1 million applications. More than 200,000 companies utilize Hugging Face services for AI development, testing, customization, and deployment across diverse computing environments.
Both companies stated that Hugging Face will continue functioning as an open platform even after the deal’s completion. Developers will retain the freedom to select their models, frameworks, cloud services, and computing platforms. Nvidia hardware will not be mandatory for using Hugging Face tools or deploying models via the platform. Furthermore, Hugging Face will persist in supporting open-source and open-weight models from other developers. Its services will continue to support multiple clouds, inference providers, and accelerator platforms, including hardware from other semiconductor firms.
Hugging Face to Maintain Open Development Principles
Founded in 2016 by Clément Delangue, Julien Chaumond, and Thomas Wolf, Hugging Face has expanded into hosting models, datasets, developer libraries, and cloud services for AI projects. The company achieved a valuation of $4.5 billion during a funding round completed in August 2023, raising $235 million from tech investors. Prior to the acquisition, Nvidia collaborated with Hugging Face through projects connecting developers with Nvidia computing resources and software using familiar Hugging Face development tools.
Nvidia disclosed the agreement in a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on September 3, 2026. The filing notes that the acquisition remains pending and has not yet been finalized. It still requires regulatory approvals and typical closing conditions. Nvidia also outlined commitments regarding the future operations of Hugging Face, including ongoing access to models and datasets, multi-cloud support, and compatibility with hardware from other semiconductor companies.
Expected Closure in the First Half of 2027
Nvidia already has a significant presence within the Hugging Face developer community. The company reports having published over 500 models and more than 250 open datasets on the platform. It also offers software libraries and development tools that users can adapt and incorporate into their projects. Hugging Face supports developers at various stages of AI development, including model discovery, testing, customization, and deployment. The platform serves as infrastructure for companies, research organizations, and independent developers creating AI applications.
The acquisition of Hugging Face by Nvidia will remain subject to review until all conditions are satisfied. Nvidia aims to complete the deal during the first half of 2027. Under the terms announced, Hugging Face will continue supporting models and tools across the broader AI ecosystem. Developers will retain the ability to choose frameworks, cloud platforms, inference providers, and hardware. Both companies also committed to preserving Hugging Face’s multi-cloud and multi-accelerator strategy post-acquisition.