Edge AI computing firm Blaize has raised USD 106 million in a funding round. The round saw participation from current investors such as Bess Ventures, Franklin Templeton, DENSO, Mercedes Benz, and Temasek, along with new financial backers Rizvi Traverse, Ava Investors, and BurTech LP LLC.

The capital raised will bolster Blaize's balance sheet and expedite the development of its AI computing platforms and solutions, primarily from the Edge to the data center. 

Analyst QuickTake: The announcement follows the company's recent decision to go public through a merger with BurTech Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded SPAC. The combined company will be renamed "Blaize Holdings, Inc." and the transaction is expected to close in Q2 2024, subject to stockholder and regulatory approvals. Blaize plans to use the financing to develop its hardware and software offerings, including for use cases like automotive, computer vision, AI inference, and GenAI.