Groq

Groq builds application-specific AI accelerators called Language Processing Units to deliver fast inference. Founded in 2016 by former Google engineer Jonathan Ross, the Mountain View company became a unicorn after raising a $300M Series C.

By Noah Smith

Published: July 29, 2025, 10:13 am

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Groq builds AI accelerators called Language Processing Units (LPUs). Founded in 2016 by ex-Google engineer Jonathan Ross, the Mountain View startup creates chips for fast AI inference and became a unicorn after raising a $300M Series C.

Founded: 2016 by former Google engineers led by CEO Jonathan Ross and early CEO Douglas Wightman.
Headquarters: Mountain View, California with offices in San Jose (CA), Liberty Lake (WA), Toronto (Canada) and London (UK).
Technology: Application-specific chips called Language Processing Units (LPUs) that accelerate inference for large language models, image classification and anomaly detection.
Funding & employees: Private company with approximately 250 employees (2023); raised a $300M Series C round in April 2021 led by Tiger Global and D1 Capital, valuing the startup over $1B.
Mission: Deliver ultra-fast AI inference through hardware and software innovations.