- AheadComputing has raised $21.5M to develop a 64-bit RISC-V microprocessor
- Led by ex-Intel engineers, it sees RISC-V disrupting x86 and Arm dominance
- The corporate plans fast development, specializing in licensing, AI, cloud, and cell
A startup created in 2024 by former Intel engineers is betting on RISC-V changing into the dominant computing structure of the longer term.
Portland, Oregon primarily based AheadComputing has raised $21.5 million in seed funding led by Eclipse, with participation from Jim Keller. The veteran chip designer is the mastermind behind AMD‘s Zen structure and Tesla’s unique self-driving chip, and is at the moment the CEO of Tenstorrent, considered one of our 10 hottest AI {hardware} corporations to observe in 2025.
AheadComputing believes that “everybody deserves a greater pc” and that the shift away from proprietary architectures is inevitable. It plans to develop 64-bit RISC-V microprocessor structure and “push the boundaries of what is potential in computing”.
Taking a leaf from Arm’s playbook
CEO Debbie Marr, who beforehand served as an Intel Fellow and chief architect of the Superior Structure Growth Group, co-founded the corporate with senior engineers Jonathan Pearce, Srikanth Srinivasan, and Mark Dechene.
She says “The present computing ecosystem is in disarray; the trade is present process a serious transformation, fueled by rising market leaders and disruptive applied sciences. Because the founders of AheadComputing, we see chaos as a possibility and consider our staff possesses distinctive experience to assist create a brand new and improved ecosystem for the longer term.”
Whereas x86 and Arm have dominated computing for many years, AheadComputing believes RISC-V’s open structure, flexibility, and price benefits will finally make it the popular selection. It might be a sound guess if rumors that Arm is trying to manufacture its personal chips come to go. AheadComputing plans to function below an IP licensing mannequin, much like Arm’s strategy.
Whereas the trade is investing closely in data-parallel AI accelerators, Marr argues that per-core efficiency stays an ignored but essential a part of computing. “The chance exists right now to reinforce per-core efficiency, which we contemplate the cornerstone of multi-processor system effectivity,” she stated.
The corporate has grown from its 4 founders to a staff of 40 and is increasing quickly. The seed funding shall be used to rent further engineers and develop core IP. The startup is searching for strategic companions to speed up its push into cloud computing, AI, and cell markets.