AI inference company Baseten is reportedly close to sealing a $1.5 billion financing round that would push its market value to $13 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The deal follows a rapid fundraising sprint: five months ago the firm closed a $300 million Series E at a $5 billion valuation, just nine months after a $150 million Series D. If the new round finalises, the valuation would have risen more than 160 % in under six months. Sources say the round is split‑priced, with some investors buying in at a $13 billion cap and others at $11 billion, a strategy used to inflate headline numbers.
Spark Capital, Sands Capital, Altimeter Capital and Wellington Management are said to co‑lead the financing. Founded in 2019, Baseten is part of what The Next Wave calls the “inference gold rush,” where venture capital backs firms that streamline the model‑inference step. The startup promises faster, cost‑effective inference by routing requests to the most suitable model, including cheaper open‑source alternatives, positioning the fresh capital to accelerate its growth in the emerging inference market.
