Jan. 21, 2026
Tech giants sidestep antitrust scrutiny with 'reverse acquihires' to snag AI talent
Tech giants have found a way to poach AI startup talent and technology without actually buying the companies -- and so far, regulators aren't doing anything about it.
Major technology companies are using a creative legal method to add AI company founders and talented engineers without buying the startups.
It is commonly known as the "reverse acquihire," and Microsoft Corp., Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Meta Platforms Inc. and Nvidia Corp. all have used it during the past 22 months.
The most lucrative deal was announced on Dec. 24 between Nvidia and Groq Inc., which was valued at $6.9 billion after a September financing ro...
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