Intel announced a $1 billion fund to support early-stage startups and companies developing disruptive, innovative semiconductor manufacturing technologies. The fund will be overseen by Intel Capital and Intel Foundry Services (IFS) and will prioritize investments in intellectual property, software tools, innovative chip architectures, and advanced chip packaging technologies.
Several companies have joined the fund, working to build modular products on an open chip platform and support the instruction set architecture (ISA) design approach, including x86, Arm, and RISC-V.
The modular approach to design is being used more recently, explained Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel. It allows manufacturers to differentiate products and reduce time to market. Intel Foundry Services is "well positioned to lead this important industry," he said, and the investment fund will help develop breakthrough technologies across the spectrum of chip architectures.
The IFS Chip Contract Manufacturing division was established last year. Intel points out that in order to help IFS clients realize their projects, a reliable ecosystem is needed, which the new fund will strengthen. Three mechanisms are provided for this - equity investments in start-ups, strategic investments to expand partnerships, and investments in the development of innovative capabilities to support IFS clients.
"This $1 billion fund will leverage all of Intel's resources to drive innovation in the semiconductor ecosystem," said IFS CEO Randhir Thakur.
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