New Hardware Discount for Startups and Startup Highlights from GTC
On the heels of NVIDIA GTC in Washington D.C. where dozens of startups were highlighted in NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang's keynote, and the exhibitor hall was packed with customers, investors, enterprises, and developers, the NVIDIA Inception program also announced a new benefit for members. All startups in the program will receive a $700 savings on Jetson AGX Thor Developer Kits.
Jetson Thor enables developers to build advanced physical AI. Powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell GPU architecture and 128 GB of memory, it delivers up to 2070 FP4 TFLOPS to run the latest generative AI models efficiently. Robots built with Jetson Thor adapt dynamically without manual reprogramming—its supercomputer-class reasoning and multisensor processing enable flexible autonomy for complex challenges like manipulation, navigation, and task execution.
The new NVIDIA Jetson AGX Thor Developer Kit is now available with a 20% discount for startups and ISVs. Qualified startups and ISVs can now get the new NVIDIA Jetson AGX Thor Developer Kit for $2,799 USD ($700 off MSRP). The Jetson AGX Orin Developer Kit is also available for $1,599 ($400 off MSRP).
How to get 20% off the NVIDIA Jetson AGX Thor Developer Kit:
Members log in and submit an NVIDIA hardware benefit request (limit 5 units per 12-month period). Not a member yet? Apply for the NVIDIA Inception program.
GTC DC Highlights–What’s Next in AI
The State of AI Innovation–Through the Lens of Leading VCs
During the keynote pregame, Thomas Laffont from Coatue Management , Sarah Guo from Conviction, Martin Casado from Andreessen Horowitz , and Navin Chaddha from Mayfield dig deep into the state of AI innovation, open models, and the tectonic shifts driving the next wave of founder opportunities. Watch now>
NVIDIA Launches Open Models and Data to Accelerate AI Innovation Across Language, Biology, and Robotics
NVIDIA’s open model families—including Nemotron for digital AI, Cosmos for physical AI, Isaac GR00T for robotics, and Clara for biomedical AI—give startups and developers a powerful foundation to build and customize specialized intelligent agents for real-world applications. Learn more>
95+ NVIDIA Inception Startups Showcased Live Demos, Panels, Sessions, and More at NVIDIA GTC D.C.
Our team had the pleasure to capture two of the many Inception members at GTC for a quick interview. The Luminary Cloud and Aible interviews featured at GTC D.C., shine a spotlight on some of the most innovative companies at the forefront of AI and high-performance computing. These startups share valuable insights into their journeys, demonstrating how the NVIDIA Inception program empowers founders to scale quickly with access to critical resources, mentorship, and a thriving investor ecosystem.
If you haven't already, mark your calendars for NVIDIA GTC in San Jose, CA from March 16-19, 2026. Sign up to be notified when registration opens.
More GTC D.C. startup sessions, available on demand:
- The AI Engine of Innovation: U.S. Startup Founders Driving Real-World Impact
- AI for Good: Tackling Climate and Environmental Challenges in U.S. Cities
- Agentic AI and a Patient-First Digital Health Stack
- Accelerate Government Innovation With Secure, AI–Enabled Models for Software Development
- Seeing the Unseen: Radar’s Role in Revolutionizing AI and Transforming Tomorrow
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To learn more about the NVIDIA Inception program for startups, visit nvidia.com/startups.
For investors, strengthen your portfolio with the NVIDIA Inception VC Alliance, visit nvidia.com/vc-alliance.
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From felon to founder | Creator of BrockBox.com 🥦 — Plug-n-Play, Air-Gapped AI | Privacy • Security • Compliance
1wWild seeing all these companies listed under #NVIDIAGTC — but let’s be real for a second. Every single one of them still phones home to the cloud. That’s not sovereignty that’s dependency. Every founder on that screen is building AI that someone else ultimately controls, while the same CEOs keep pushing Universal Basic Income instead of real ownership. Here’s the truth: every human now creates data daily and that’s the new oil. We don’t need handouts. We need data sovereignty. That’s exactly why I built 🥦 BrockBox.com plug-and-play, offline AI that runs local, private, and pays the user in control, not the cloud. The next gold rush isn’t who trains the biggest model… It’s who actually owns the data.
Data Scientist | Lifelong Learner | Graham-Buffett-NASA Disciple | Emergency Brake System | Nanotribologist Hunter | Underserved Businessman | Ignored Holistic Innovator | SAP | 🌱H2 | 🐍/R | 300% survivor ☠️
1wI'm looking for a nanotribologist for an emergency brake system.
Founder & CEO at Eternity Mind Studios | AI + VR + Emotion Interface | Building the Future of Story Experience
1w🚀 NVIDIA isn’t just accelerating AI — it’s accelerating imagination itself. The next frontier isn’t building tools, it’s creating worlds. ⚡ #NVIDIA #AI #Innovation #AICinematicImmersion #ImmersiveTech #ImmersiveStorytelling
Founder @ SELF ENERGY Building modular data centers that deploy in 48 hours. Prototype-ready. Global rollout. Looking for investors & partners. 📦 Edge computing | ⚙️ Infrastructure | 🌍 📩: selfenrgy@gmail.com
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