June 28, 2025 – Chipmaking titan NVIDIA has quietly completed the acquisition of CentML, a Toronto-based AI startup, along with its proprietary technologies, according to sources familiar with the matter. The deal has led to the transfer of at least three co-founders and a team of 15 engineers to NVIDIA’s ranks.
LinkedIn profiles indicate that Gennady Pekhimenko, the former CEO of CentML, now holds the title of Senior Director of AI Software at NVIDIA. Meanwhile, Sam Wang, CentML’s CTO, and Akbar Nurlybayev, its COO, have also updated their LinkedIn accounts to reflect new managerial roles at NVIDIA.
This month alone, NVIDIA has onboarded at least 15 engineers and two interns who previously worked at CentML, LinkedIn data suggests. However, not all CentML employees are making the transition. Last week, a CentML sales representative announced on LinkedIn that his role, along with several others, had been eliminated as part of a “restructuring effort.”
Prior to the acquisition, CentML had secured $30.9 million in venture capital funding, as reported by PitchBook. The company announced via its Slack channels and social media platform X that it would cease operations starting July 17, discontinuing its AI optimization services indefinitely.
The move underscores NVIDIA’s continued push to expand its AI capabilities, integrating specialized expertise to strengthen its competitive edge in the rapidly evolving semiconductor and AI sectors.
