Vercel Inc., a startup specializing in front-end development, is reportedly in the process of raising several hundred million dollars in new funding, according to recent reports.
Insiders have revealed that Accel is leading the investment round. The new funding is expected to push Vercel’s valuation to approximately $9 billion—nearly triple the valuation it achieved during its last funding round in May of last year, which amounted to $250 million and was also led by Accel.
The company is known for commercializing Next.js, a widely used open-source framework for building web application interfaces. This technology enables processing tasks—typically handled within a user's browser—to be shifted to the servers of the website operator. As a result, these operations are completed faster, significantly reducing page load times.
Vercel offers a cloud service that allows developers to rapidly update websites built with Next.js. According to the company, its platform can publish code changes in seconds rather than the minutes typically required. This speed improvement is partly achieved by eliminating the need to adjust site configuration settings before each update.
The company also provides several other development tools. These products streamline tasks such as managing databases for web applications and rolling back faulty software updates, as described on its website.
Rumors about Vercel seeking new capital first emerged around two weeks ago. At the time, The Information reported that the fundraising effort came amid a surge in demand for the company’s services, particularly its expanding suite of AI tools. Vercel has made its artificial intelligence offerings a central focus of recent product development initiatives.
Earlier this month, the company launched an AI-powered coding assistant called v0. The tool generates interface design concepts and converts them into executable code. Additionally, v0 can analyze existing website interface code to detect technical issues.
In May, Vercel introduced a service named AI Gateway. This tool enables developers to quickly switch between AI models used in their web applications. If a large language model supporting a chatbot goes offline, AI Gateway can reroute requests to an alternative algorithm.
Another recent addition to Vercel’s AI offerings is a feature that grants developers access to graphical processing units (GPUs). According to the company, its pricing is 90% lower than competitors’. Vercel charges customers only for actual GPU usage by their web applications.
The ongoing funding round is expected to make it easier for Vercel to acquire additional GPU resources. Furthermore, it could support accelerated product development through potential acquisitions. In January, Vercel acquired the startup behind Tremor, a popular open-source tool for building website interfaces.
