Artificial intelligence startup Baseten is set to raise new funding that would more than double its valuation to about $30 billion, according to people familiar with the efforts.<div><br></div><div>The funding round is set to include two separate prices, or “tranches,” the first segment of which values Baseten at $26 billion, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private information. The second tranche values Baseten at $30 billion, they said.</div><div><br></div><div>The first tranche would value Baseten at $26 billion, while the second would value the company at $30 billion, according to people familiar with the discussions.</div><div><br></div><div>Existing investor Sands Capital is expected to lead the financing round.</div><div><br></div><div>Baseten was last valued at $13 billion in June after raising $1.5 billion, making the latest fundraising a significant increase in its market value within just four months.</div><div><br></div><div>Founded in 2019, the company provides infrastructure that allows businesses to deploy and operate multiple AI models through a single platform.</div><div><br></div><div>Its existing investors include Altimeter Capital, IVP, and Spark Capital.</div><div><br></div><div>The proposed investment reflects growing demand for AI inference infrastructure, which supports the operation of artificial intelligence models after their initial training.</div><div><br></div><div>Investors increasingly view inference as a major growth opportunity as businesses deploy AI applications and autonomous agents that require substantial computing resources.</div><div><br></div><div>Industry estimates suggest spending on inference-related chips and computing infrastructure could eventually surpass expenditure on training AI models.</div><div><br></div><div>Baseten competes with Fireworks AI, which raised $1.5 billion in July at a valuation of $17.5 billion. Sequoia Capital backs the rival startup.</div>