The Justice Department is investigating whether Nvidia structured its Groq deal to avoid antitrust review

The Justice Department has issued an information request to examine whether Nvidia’s December licensing agreement with inference-chip maker Groq was designed to avoid antitrust review. Nvidia secured a non-exclusive license, hired several Groq executives—including founder Jonathan Ross—without acquiring the company, prompting regulators to assess if the “license-and-hire” structure constitutes an undisclosed merger. Similar deals, such as a $6 billion license and the hiring of 109 Poolside staff, highlight broader concerns about Nvidia’s approach to bypass merger scrutiny.