From the article: “Antitrust would seem to be the primary risk here, though structuring the deal as a non-exclusive licence may keep the fiction of competition alive,” said Stacy Rasgon, an analyst at Bernstein Research, in a note to clients regarding Nvidia’s deal with Groq.
“Non-exclusive” does not in any form or fashion spell out that all Nvidia's competitors who are, or consider to be collaborating with Groq can and will obtain the very cutting edge Groq technology, as Nvidia will obtain. Competitors could obtain 2nd best, or "watered down" tech.
So jelly and ice cream for the founders and a pat on the head for everyone else? Surely even by the cockeyed logic of usual startup exits this is egregiously nasty?
Perhaps there’s some nugget of gold that the papers haven’t reported? If not, and I were an employee of Groq, I’d be feeling ill used.
I will never understand how someone can build a company, generate huge value thanks to employees and early hires, and then just abandon them with almost nothing. Who would ever want to start another company with this person ever again?
This is shameful and attacks the social contract of silicon valley. What a slap in the face to all the employees who grinded over the years for their options, only to be left with a hollowed-out zombie shell of a company.
Happens very, very often. More often than not, I think.
Yeah and afaict all of the employees are totally in the dark as to what's going on. They have no idea if they'll get paid (I'm an ex-employee)