Baseten in talks to raise $1B at $11B valuation as inference demand surges

AI inference infrastructure provider Baseten is in discussions with investors to raise approximately $1 billion in new funding at an $11 billion valuation, according to multiple reports citing people familiar with the talks. The prospective deal, which has not yet been finalized, would include the new capital in the valuation and represents a sharp step-up from the roughly $5 billion valuation Baseten commanded in its previous round earlier this year. Coverage from industry outlets notes that the company closed a $300 million Series E only a few months ago, following a $150 million Series D in late 2025, and that its latest talks come amid rapid revenue expansion and heightened demand for large-scale AI inference services.

The investment would further cement Baseten as one of the highest-valued independent players focused solely on AI inference, the infrastructure layer that allows enterprises to deploy and run AI models reliably and at scale. Reports emphasize that the new round is still in negotiation and that specific deal terms, including the final size of the raise and participating investors, could change before completion. As of late May 2026, none of the sources reviewed identify definitive lead investors for the prospective $1 billion financing, only noting that the company’s prior rounds have attracted major growth and strategic backers. The sharp valuation increase over a matter of months is being framed as a reflection of investor conviction that inference infrastructure will capture a growing share of AI spending as model deployment at scale becomes a core bottleneck for enterprises.