Raspberry Pi Shares Surge 94% as Social Media Traders Label It AI Play

Raspberry Pi shares climbed as much as 94% this week, pushing the British microcomputer maker's valuation above £1 billion ($1.26 billion) after social media traders identified the company as a potential beneficiary of the artificial intelligence boom. The rally was triggered by a post on X from a WallStreetBets forum contributor who suggested Raspberry Pi as a "fun trade idea." Enthusiasts have been purchasing the company's low-cost circuit boards to run OpenClaw, a viral AI assistant that requires separate computing systems. OpenAI hired OpenClaw's developer Peter Steinberger earlier this week. CEO Eben Upton, whose stake is now worth approximately £10 million, downplayed the "meme stock" label, suggesting retail investors may better understand the platform's capabilities than institutional analysts. The Cambridge-based company, which floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2024, had seen shares fall below its IPO price last month amid memory component cost pressures. The Raspberry Pi Foundation retains a 47% stake, while roughly 80% of employees hold shares.