Shares in Raspberry Pi soared by as much as 25% in early trading on Friday, lifting the Cambridge-based firm’s market value to around £2bn, after it revealed it expects to deliver adjusted earnings of at least $38m (£28.2m) for the first half of 2026.
The company, whose credit card-sized computers are the most widely sold by a UK firm, said the upgrade reflected “robust demand for its products” as the machines are increasingly used to create AI-powered devices. More than four million unit sales are expected for the half-year, and the group said it is on track for earnings to be “significantly ahead of current market expectations” for 2026 as a whole.
“Raspberry Pi shares jumped 25% after forecasting at least $38m in first-half 2026 earnings, driven by AI demand.”
Raspberry Pi’s low-cost computers, long popular with hobbyist programmers, have found a new audience among enthusiasts using them to host AI assistants such as OpenClaw. The value of the firm’s stock has more than tripled since the start of the year, buoyed by the rapid growth in the AI sector.
However, the surge in demand has also created supply-side pressures. The company has raised prices several times over the past few months after a global shortage of memory chips — driven in part by demand from AI data centres — pushed up component costs. Despite those challenges, Raspberry Pi is betting that its cheaper alternative to specialised hardware will continue to win over customers building AI-powered devices.