Nvidia Backs French AI Voice Startup Gradium With $30M — Stock Still 16% Off Peak
Nvidia has taken a roughly $30 million stake in Gradium, a French artificial intelligence voice technology startup, as part of a broader push to expand its ecosystem partnerships beyond core data center hardware. The investment comes while Nvidia's stock sits approximately 16% below its May all-time high, wiping out nearly $1 trillion in market capitalization. Despite the drawdown, the stock ticked higher on news of this deal alongside separate sales approval developments, and the valuation has compressed to around 18 times forward earnings — now below the S&P 500's average multiple.
Nvidia trading below the S&P 500's average earnings multiple is a structural shift from the premium valuation the stock commanded at its peak — it signals cooling Wall Street enthusiasm even as the company keeps deploying capital into the AI ecosystem. For investors, the compressed multiple cuts both ways: the margin of safety is higher than it was, but the catalyst to rerate the stock back to premium territory needs to be earned through execution. Positions in Nvidia directly, and broadly in AI-linked ETFs, are affected.
Next Nvidia earnings report (Q2 FY2026, ~late August). Any French or EU regulatory commentary on foreign AI investment. Federal Reserve rate decision — next FOMC meeting ~mid-June.
- Nvidia invests in French AI voice startup Gradium · Le Figaro Economie
- Apple is closing in on Nvidia to be the largest company in the world · Quartz
- Nvidia stock hits cheapest valuation since before the AI boom after shedding $1 trillion · Quartz
- Nvidia rises as it looks to partner with competitors; China reportedly allows sales · Seeking Alpha
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