According to Bloomberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has joined Samsung in a $700 million investment round in Tenstorrent, an AI chip startup valued at $2.6 billion, as the company aims to challenge Nvidia’s dominance in the artificial intelligence hardware market.
Jim Keller’s Vision for AI
Jim Keller, CEO of Tenstorrent and renowned CPU architect, envisions a future of AI computing that challenges Nvidia’s dominance through open-source innovation and chiplet technology. Keller believes that open-source policies accelerate innovation, contrasting with proprietary technologies that can lead to stagnation. Tenstorrent is leveraging RISC-V architecture and chiplet technology to develop AI accelerators, particularly for edge computing applications3. This approach aims to create more adaptable and efficient AI hardware, potentially offering a compelling alternative to Nvidia’s GPUs in the rapidly evolving AI market.
- Keller emphasizes the importance of heterogeneous compute, combining RISC-V CPU and AI cores to handle diverse workloads
- Tenstorrent’s strategy includes developing high-performance RISC-V CPU technology and collaborating with partners like Japan’s LSTC to create cutting-edge AI accelerators
- The company’s Grayskull processor and DevKits showcase their commitment to providing more accessible and scalable AI development tools
Tenstorrent’s RISC-V Strategy
Tenstorrent is positioning itself as a leader in RISC-V architecture-based design, leveraging the open-source instruction set to develop high-performance CPU and AI chips.
The company’s strategy includes:
- Developing a range of RISC-V CPU cores, from two-wide to eight-wide decoding, to address diverse applications from basic consumer electronics to high-performance computing
- Partnering with companies like MosChip Technologies for design services to advance RISC-V solutions
- Collaborating with Japan’s Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Center (LSTC) to create edge AI accelerators using RISC-V and chiplet technology
- Licensing its RISC-V CPU IP to other companies, as evidenced by its partnership with LG Electronics for AI chip development in home appliances and future mobility applications
This multi-faceted approach allows Tenstorrent to offer flexible solutions while challenging traditional chip architectures and avoiding vendor lock-in associated with proprietary ecosystems.
Bezos Backs AI Startup
Tenstorrent’s latest funding round attracted high-profile investors, with Jeff Bezos’ Bezos Expeditions joining Samsung Securities in backing the AI chip startup. The $693 million Series D round, which valued Tenstorrent at $2.6 billion, showcases the growing interest in AI hardware alternatives to Nvidia.
Key aspects of this funding round include:
- Led by South Korea’s AFW Partners and Samsung Securities, with participation from Bezos Expeditions, LG Electronics, and Fidelity
- Funds will be used to expand Tenstorrent’s engineering team, strengthen its global supply chain, and build AI training servers
- The investment reflects confidence in Tenstorrent’s open-source approach and its potential to challenge Nvidia’s dominance in the AI chip market
This strategic funding from tech industry leaders positions Tenstorrent to accelerate its development of cost-effective and power-efficient AI chips, leveraging open-source technology to compete with established players.
Source: Perplexity
