Tesla (TSLA) stock surges from optimistic look at Dojo supercomputer
Tesla’s (TSLA) stock is rising in pre-market trading on an optimistic new report about the automaker’s Dojo supercomputer coming from Morgan Stanley.
The firm massively increased its price target on Tesla’s stock because of it.
Dojo is Tesla’s own custom supercomputer platform built from the ground up for AI machine learning and, more specifically, for video training using the video data coming from its fleet of vehicles.
The automaker already has several large NVIDIA GPU-based supercomputer clusters, which are some of the most powerful in the world, but the new Dojo custom-built computer uses chips and an entire infrastructure designed by Tesla.
The custom-built supercomputer is expected to elevate Tesla’s capacity to train neural nets using video data, which is critical to the computer vision technology powering its self-driving effort.
At Tesla’s AI Day in 2021, the company unveiled its Dojo supercomputer, but the company was still ramping up its effort at the time. It only had its first chip and training tiles, and it was still working on building a full Dojo cabinet and cluster, or “Exapod.”
A year later, at AI Day 2022, Tesla unveiled some progress on Dojo, including having a full system tray. At the time, the automaker was talking about having a full cluster by Q1 2023.
The first quarter of the year came and went without any news of Dojo being in operation.
But we finally learned that Dojo came only this summer with a plan to gradually ramp it up to a 100 Exa-flop capacity by the end of 2024.
With Tesla’s move to have not only its computer-based visual perception being neural net-based, but now also the vehicle controls, the company claims to be compute-constrained with its self-driving effort, so therefore, Dojo could become a difference maker.
Today, Morgan Stanley released a new note to clients in which the firm’s analysts did a deep dive into Dojo.
Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote in the note:
The autonomous car has been described as the mother of all AI projects. In its quest to solve for autonomy, Tesla has developed an advanced supercomputing architecture that pushes new boundaries in custom silicon and may put Tesla at an asymmetric advantage in a $10 trillion total addressable market.
The analyst argued that Dojo alone could add about $500 billion in value to the company.
Jonas argues that Tesla’s singular focus on designing its own AI chips for the purpose of training AI on videos could give it a significant advantage in the space.
On top of accelerating its self-driving effort, Morgan Stanley discusses the potential of Dojo becoming a direct revenue-generator – something that CEO Elon Musk has suggested before.
The new factoring-in of Dojo has resulted in Morgan Stanley raising its price target on Tesla’s stock price from $250 to $400, which is a massive change for large firm like Morgan Stanley.
Here’s the breakdown of the price target change per business unit:
Tesla’s stock was up by as much as 6% in pre-market trading following the release of the note.
Other factors could be contributing to the stock surge, including the increasingly likely potential of a massive UAW strike, which would negatively affect Tesla’s competitors and could further open up the market for Tesla in the US if the strike lasts.
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The Stripe logo on a smartphone with U.S. dollar banknotes in the background.
Budrul Chukrut | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty Images
Stripe cut 300 jobs, representing about 3.5% of its workforce, mostly in product, engineering and operations, CNBC has confirmed.
The payments company, valued at about $70 billion in the private markets, still expects to increase headcount by 10,000 by the end of the year, which would be a 17% increase, and is “not slowing down hiring,” according to a memo to staff from Chief People Office Rob McIntosh. Business Insider reported earlier on the cuts and the memo.
A Stripe spokesperson also confirmed to CNBC that a cartoon image of a duck with text that read, “US-Non-California Duck,” was accidentally attached as a PDF to emails sent to some of the employees who were laid off. Some of the emails mistakenly provided affected employees with an incorrect termination date, the spokesperson said.
McIntosh sent a follow-up email to staffers apologizing for the “notification error” and “any confusion it caused.”
“Corrected and full notifications have since been sent to all impacted Stripes,” he wrote.
In 2022, Stripe cut roughly 1,100 jobs, or 14% of its workers, downsizing alongside most of the tech industry, as soaring inflation and rising interest rates forced companies to focus on profits over growth. The Information reported that Stripe had a few dozen layoffs in its recruiting department in 2023.
Stripe’s valuation sank from a peak of $95 billion in 2021 to $50 billion in 2023, before reportedly rebounding to $70 billion last year as part of a secondary share sale. The company ranked third on last year’s CNBC Disruptor 50 list.
In October, Stripe agreed to pay $1.1 billion for crypto startup Bridge Network, whose technology is focused on making it easy for businesses to transact using digital currencies.
Brothers Patrick and John Collison, who founded Stripe in 2010, have intentionally steered clear of the public markets and have given no indication that an offering is on the near-term horizon. Total payment volume at the company surpassed $1 trillion in 2023.
WATCH: Early Bridge investor weighs in on $1.1 billion Stripe deal
Thinking about upgrading your EV? Rivian (RIVN) launched a new promo on Tuesday, offering up to $6,000 to upgrade your R1S or R1T. Here’s how you can snag some savings.
Rivian R1S and R1T upgrade deal offers up to $6,000
Rivian delivered over 51,500 vehicles last year as the EV maker gains momentum. Although it was only slightly higher than the ~50,100 delivered in 2023, Rivian is expected to see even more growth this year.
After shutting down its Normal, IL manufacturing plant last April and renegotiating supplier contracts, Rivian has seen “significant cost improvements,” according to CEO RJ Scaringe.
Rivian also began delivering its next-gen R1S and R1T models last year. The new Large and Max battery packs have redesigned modules and more efficient packaging, “making them easier to manufacture and service.” For example, Rivian’s new EVs use seven ECUs, down from 17 in the first-generation R1T and R1S.
With new plant upgrades, reworked supplier contracts, and more efficient vehicles, Rivian is now passing the savings on to customers.
Rivian introduced a new promo on Tuesday, offering up to $6,000 to upgrade your R1T or R1S. The bonus amount varies by trim:
- Tri with Max battery: $6,000 USD / CAD 8,600
- Dual with Max battery and Performance upgrade: $4,500 USD / CAD 6,500
- Dual with Max battery: $3,000 USD / CAD 4,300
The offer is for current R1T or R1S owners or lessees in the US and Canada. Rivian launched the new promo on January 21, and it runs through March 31, 2025.
After you purchase or lease a qualifying vehicle, Rivian will apply a discount toward the MSRP. You must take delivery by March 31, 2025. In the fine print, Rivian stated, “You must request a trade-in estimate to qualify for this offer, but trade-in of a vehicle is not required.”
Any other models are excluded from the offer. These include Dual Standard configurations, Dual with Large battery configurations, custom builds, demo vehicles, and pre-owned vehicles.
The new offer follows Rivian’s previous upgrade promo introduced last October, giving qualifying gas-powered vehicle owners or lessees up to $3,000.
Check out the Rivian R1 Shop to view eligible models. You can see eligible Rivian R1S here and R1T models here.
Electrek’s Take
Rivian’s R1S was already the tenth best-selling electric vehicle in the US last year, with nearly 27,000 models sold. With more driving range and power at a lower cost, the electric SUV could see even more demand in 2025.
Then again, with the arrival of new luxury electric SUVs, like the Jeep Wagoneer S and Volvo EX90, Rivian will face more competition in the US.
Rivian’s latest promo comes as the Company looks to carry the momentum from the end of 2024 into the new year. The EV maker is offering other deals, including 1.99% APR for 60 months on the R1 Dual with a Max Battery and Performance upgrade.
Even if you are not eligible for the promo, we can still help you find deals on Rivian’s electric SUV in your area. You can use our links below to view offers on the Rivian R1S and R1T near you today.
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