AI chip startup Etched raises $800 million, backed by Jane Street and TSMC-linked VC

Odaily reports: AI chip startup Etched has completed a roughly $800 million funding round, with investors including quantitative trading giant Jane Street and a venture capital firm affiliated with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). The company is currently testing its AI inference chip product and plans to begin shipping to select customers this summer. It has also signed sales contracts totaling approximately $1 billion, though specific customers were not disclosed.

Founded in 2022, the company positions itself as a potential competitor to NVIDIA in the field of AI computing chips, focusing on designing customized chip architectures for large model inference scenarios. It is collaborating with TSMC to develop "low-voltage inference" technology aimed at reducing energy consumption and heat dissipation pressure.

This funding round, previously reported to have a valuation of around $500 million, includes participation from Stripes, funds associated with Peter Thiel, and several quantitative firms. Jane Street is said to have invested over $100 million in total, with subsequent additional contributions. (Bloomberg)