don't forget about inference versus training workloads .. some people are making hardware e.g. www.cohere.com
I would immediately disqualify them: "The all-in-one platform for private and secure AI" and no pricing for purchasing hardware, only API keys and prices per token are mentioned.
That's basically "trust me, bro" and certainly not something I'd stake NDA compliance on.
actually yes, that web site is quite different than talking to the engineers in person.. Isn't that a tip of the iceburg indicator for the difference between engineering and senior management! I don't have any non-public details about that company.. to be clear