Not Every AI Giant Needs to Chase Consumers

Most AI headlines are dominated by flashy consumer-facing names.
But behind the noise, Cohere just raised $500M, pushing its valuation to $6.8 billion — and they’ve done it by ignoring the consumer AI arms race entirely.

Founded in 2019 by Aidan Gomez (yes, one of the minds behind the paper that shaped modern AI), Cohere built its brand on secure, enterprise-first AI models. This isn’t about chatbots for the masses — it’s about powering the operations of giants like Oracle, Dell, Fujitsu, LG CNS, SAP, and RBC.

Backers like AMD, Nvidia, and Salesforce clearly see the upside in this approach. Cohere even made a point in its announcement: enterprise AI security needs aren’t being met by repurposed consumer models.

The company is also strengthening its leadership, bringing in Meta’s former research head Joelle Pineau as Chief AI Officer and a new CFO from Uber and Shield AI.

While others chase headlines, Cohere is building a fortress around the most lucrative part of AI — where budgets are bigger, stakes are higher, and hype doesn’t pay the bills.

If you want to spot the next AI winner, watch the companies solving problems businesses can’t ignore.