Organisation
Tenstorrent
Builds AI accelerators and CPU cores on the open RISC-V architecture, sold both as hardware and as licensable IP, an open alternative to proprietary GPU designs.
Tenstorrent is an AI-chip company, founded in 2016 and now led by the veteran chip architect Jim Keller — whose earlier work spans Apple, Tesla, AMD and Intel — that builds accelerators and CPU cores on the open RISC-V instruction set rather than proprietary designs. It sells both its own hardware and its Ascalon CPU and Tensix AI cores as licensable intellectual property, positioning openness as its distinguishing pitch against Nvidia. It raised a $693m round in December 2024 at a reported $2.6bn valuation, with backers including Samsung and Hyundai, and by 2026 was reported to be the subject of takeover interest from larger chipmakers.
- Category
- Compute, chips & infrastructure
- Founded
- 2016
- HQ
- Toronto, CA
- Funding
- $693m Series D (Dec 2024) at a reported ~$2.6bn valuation; backers include Samsung and Hyundai
- Key people
- Jim Keller