Is Cognition AI or Scale AI equity better for employees?

It depends on your risk tolerance and time horizon. Cognition AI is valued at $14B (no recent verified secondary signal). Scale AI is valued at $29B (no recent verified secondary signal). Use PrivatePulse's calculator to model your specific grant at each company.

What equity type does Cognition AI grant versus Scale AI?

Cognition AI grants ISO/NSO with strike prices typically ranging from $10–$20. Scale AI grants ISO/NSO with strike prices typically ranging from $35–$50.

What is the secondary market price for Cognition AI versus Scale AI?

Cognition AI has no recent verified secondary signal — only the last primary round ($14B) is shown. Scale AI has no recent verified secondary signal.

PrivatePulse·Companies·Cognition AI vs Scale AI

Cognition AI vs Scale AI: employee equity compared

Secondary market prices, valuation trajectory, equity structure, and liquidity outlook for employees choosing between Cognition AI and Scale AI.

Secondary signals manually reviewed · Sources: Hiive, Forge · Not tradable prices

⚠One or both companies have weak model support. Treat this comparison as directional only.

Cognition AI

AI · United States · Founded 2023

Creator of Devin, the first fully autonomous AI software engineer.

Last primary round$14B · Series B (2024-12)

Secondary marketNo recent verified signal

Annual revenue$0B ARR · +400% YoY (hypergrowth)

Headcount~80

Equity typeISO/NSO

Strike price range$10–$20 (depends on cohort)

Illiquidity discount~25%

Last round leadFounders Fund

Liquidity outlook

IPO plausible 2027–2029 if growth trajectory holds. Secondary indication near primary round valuation. Liquidity may come via tender offer or strategic acquisition before listing.

Key equity angle

High-growth AI play; ISO/NSO options; fast-moving valuations reward timing

Data quality

Secondary: No verified signal — last primary only

Revenue: Disclosed

Full Cognition AI profile Calculate my equity

Scale AI

AI · San Francisco, CA · Founded 2016

Data-labeling and AI infrastructure platform. Meta acquired a 49% stake at $29B implied valuation (Jun 2025). Secondary trades at ~50% discount reflecting client departures (Google, OpenAI, xAI) post-deal.

Last primary round$29B · Strategic (Meta) (2025-06)

Secondary marketNo recent verified signal

Annual revenue$1B ARR · +70% YoY (fast)

Headcount~1,000

Equity typeISO/NSO

Strike price range$35–$50 (depends on cohort)

Illiquidity discount~18%

Last round leadMeta

Liquidity outlook

IPO uncertain. Meta's 49% stake limits independence; Founder Alexandr Wang moved to Meta as Chief AI Officer. Liquidity most likely via further Meta acquisition or tender offer.

Key equity angle

Deep US government/defense contracts; ISO/NSO options; secondary at steep discount to primary — timing matters

Data quality

Secondary: No verified signal — last primary only

Revenue: Disclosed

Full Scale AI profile Calculate my equity

Key differences for employees

Equity structure

Cognition AI grants ISO/NSO with strike prices ranging from $10–$20 depending on your grant year. Scale AI grants ISO/NSO with strike prices from $35–$50.

Secondary market signal

Cognition AI has no recent verified secondary signal — only the primary round ($14B) is shown. Scale AI has no recent verified secondary signal. A higher secondary premium typically signals stronger investor demand and potentially better near-term liquidity for employees looking to sell.

Revenue and growth

Cognition AI runs at $0B ARR, growing +400% YoY (hypergrowth). Scale AI runs at $1B ARR, growing +70% YoY (fast). Revenue growth rate matters for equity because it drives the peer-multiple valuation — the method most correlated with exit multiples.

Liquidity timeline

Cognition AI: IPO plausible 2027–2029 if growth trajectory holds. Secondary indication near primary round valuation. Liquidity may come via tender offer or strategic acquisition before listing.

Scale AI: IPO uncertain. Meta's 49% stake limits independence; Founder Alexandr Wang moved to Meta as Chief AI Officer. Liquidity most likely via further Meta acquisition or tender offer.

Calculate your specific grant

Enter your actual shares, equity type, and strike price. PrivatePulse calculates your personal equity value using peer-multiple, secondary-market, time-decay, and sector-momentum methods.

Calculate at Cognition AI →Calculate at Scale AI →

Frequently asked questions

Is Cognition AI or Scale AI a better company to work at for equity?↓

There's no universal answer — it depends on your risk profile, time horizon, and specific grant terms. Cognition AI at $14B and Scale AI at $29B offer very different risk/reward profiles. Use the calculator above to model your exact grant at each company.

How do I know if my Cognition AI or Scale AI equity is fairly priced?↓

Compare your grant's implied per-share value against the secondary market price. If investors are paying a premium on Hiive or Forge over the last primary round, that's a signal of strong demand. PrivatePulse shows you the gap between your 409A and what the secondary market says.

Can I sell my Cognition AI or Scale AI shares on the secondary market?↓

Secondary market transactions (Hiive, Forge, Caplight) require accredited investor status and your company's consent — most private companies have right-of-first-refusal (ROFR) provisions. Tender offers, when available, are typically the most accessible path to partial liquidity for employees.

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