Etched is a company based in Cupertino, California, that is developing a chip called Sohu for training and deploying AI models. The company is focused on transformers, a core architecture used in AI advancements like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Co-founder Gavin Uberti believes that as AI evolves, custom chips like ASICs will become more essential due to their efficiency in running specific AI models. Despite competition from companies like Nvidia, Etched has raised $120 million in funding and is optimistic about the potential of the AI chip market.
Nvidia currently dominates the AI chip market, but startups like Etched are challenging its position with innovative technologies. Etched’s founders dropped out of Harvard to focus on developing their chip, and the company is now located in Cupertino with 35 employees. By specializing in transformers, Etched’s Sohu chip aims to provide significant performance improvements over Nvidia GPUs. The company is working to secure customers and plans to launch its product later this year.
Etched faces intense competition in the AI chip market but believes that being first to market will be crucial for its success. The company’s unique approach to chip design could revolutionize AI infrastructure and enable new use cases like AI agents and real-time conversations. Despite the challenges ahead, Etched is confident in its ability to disrupt the industry and capture a share of the growing AI semiconductor market.
Article Source
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2024/06/25/etched-raises-120-million-to-build-chip-to-take-on-nvidia-in-ai.html
