(Reuters) -Artificial intelligence chipmaker Cerebras Systems has confidentially filed for an initial public offering in the United States as it prepares to challenge industry heavyweight Nvidia.

The eight-year-old startup will court investors at a time when enthusiasm for AI remains high, boosting the fortunes of firms that supply the infrastructure critical to train chatbots.

But Cerebras could face questions about the competitive threat from Nvidia, whose dominance in the AI market helped it join the elite $1 trillion club and briefly dethrone Microsoft as the world's most valuable company.

The IPO will also be a major test about the appetite for AI-linked stocks. Concerns over excessive AI spending prompted some investors to rotate out of the technology sector and into value stocks over the last month.

Cerebras has been backed by a number of high-profile investors, including the Abu Dhabi Growth Fund and Coatue Management.

Companies often file for IPOs confidentially to keep their financial details under wraps for as long as possible.