The problem
AI builders need one trusted place to find, version and run open models and datasets
What they do
Open platform to host, share and deploy AI models, datasets and apps
Traction ~$150M annualized revenue, up ~50% (Aug 2026); 18M+ developers, 3M models; #39 on a16z Top 50 Consumer AI Apps by Monthly Revenue (Oct 2026)
Hiring trend
- Open roles
- 6
- Headcount
- ~250
Lean: ~250 staff (Aug 2026 reports); 6 open roles, mostly ML/open-source engineering; 4% layoff Feb 2025
Latest news
Sep 2026
Nvidia agreed to acquire Hugging Face for $12.9B; close expected H1 2027 pending regulators ↗Glassdoor
4.0 ★ 42 reviews ↗Funding
- Last round
- $235M
- Stage
- Series D (Nvidia acquisition pending)
- Date
- Aug 2023
Led by Salesforce Ventures
- Hiring+16 open roles on the live job board (3–9 roles = +1)
- Funding recency0Series D (Nvidia acquisition pending) · $235M, Aug 2023 (38 months ago): over 24 months = 0
- Traction+1.5Strong growth: ~$150M annualized revenue, up ~50% (Aug 2026); 18M+ developers, 3M models; #39 on a16z Top 50 Consumer AI Apps by Monthly Revenue (Oct 2026)
- Red flags−11 significant flag in the last 24 months, −1 eachJuly 2026 security breach: an autonomous agent from OpenAI's testing compromised production infrastructure, internal datasets and service credentials. Pending $12.9B Nvidia acquisition (not closed) means it will soon not be independent.TechCrunch: Hugging Face confirms breach of internal datasets and credentials (Jul 2026) ↗ · Nvidia 8-K: definitive agreement, close expected H1 2027 (Sep 2026) ↗
- Total1.51 + 0 + 1.5 − 1 = 1.5 → Steady (1.5–3.49)
Distance (Marathon) is a separate read on how long the lead can last. It doesn't change the score.
Distance
Marathon · edge: grows with users
The default hub for open AI: 18M developers and 3M models make it more useful as more people publish, and no rival is close; Nvidia's pending purchase and the July breach are the risks.
Sources: TechCrunch: Nvidia confirms Hugging Face purchase, 3M models, 18M developers ↗ · Nvidia blog: NVIDIA to Acquire Hugging Face ↗
Watch-outs
July 2026 security breach: an autonomous agent from OpenAI's testing compromised production infrastructure, internal datasets and service credentials. Pending $12.9B Nvidia acquisition (not closed) means it will soon not be independent.
Sources: TechCrunch: Hugging Face confirms breach of internal datasets and credentials (Jul 2026) ↗ · Nvidia 8-K: definitive agreement, close expected H1 2027 (Sep 2026) ↗
Open ops roles
No ops roles open right now
Last checked Oct 25, 2026