• Cerebras targets Q2 2026 for IPO after previous withdrawal
• Company prepares to file with the SEC for the IPO next week
• Cerebras competes with Nvidia in AI chip market
• Cerebras raised over $1 billion, valued at $8 billion
• G42's investment faced U.S. national security review

NEW YORK, Dec 19 (Reuters) - AI chip maker Cerebras Systems is preparing to file for a U.S. initial public offering as soon as next week, targeting a second-quarter 2026 listing, people familiar with the matter said.

The company, which develops high-performance processors for artificial intelligence workloads, withdrew its prior IPO filing in October, days after announcing it had raised over $1 billion in a fundraising round that valued the AI chipmaker at $8 billion.

Cerebras declined to comment.

The company first filed paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2024, before postponing and ultimately withdrawing its IPO earlier this year. Reuters previously reported that the earlier delay followed a U.S. national security review of UAE-based tech conglomerate G42’s minority investment in the AI chipmaker.

G42, which had been both an investor and one of Cerebras’ largest customers, drew increased scrutiny from U.S. authorities amid concerns that Middle Eastern companies could provide China access to advanced American AI technology, Reuters previously reported.

The company announced earlier this year that it has obtained clearance from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

In the new filing, G42 is no longer listed among Cerebras’ investors, one of the people said. Reuters could not learn the reason. The Abu Dhabi-based tech group had previously been a minority investor and commercial partner.

Reuters previously reported that G42’s participation was a sticking point in the CFIUS review, which contributed to delays in the company’s earlier IPO filing.

G42 didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sunnyvale, California-based Cerebras, is known for its wafer-scale engines, chips designed to accelerate training and inference for large AI models, competing with offerings from Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab and other AI chip makers.

U.S. IPO activity has held up in 2025 despite April market volatility triggered by President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs and the longest government shutdown. Traditional listings have raised $46.15 billion so far this year, excluding blank-check firms, the highest since 2021, with deal volume up more than 21% from a year earlier, Dealogic data show.

Bankers expect momentum to strengthen next year, with high-profile companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX weighing potential flotations.