Positron Secures $230 Million to Challenge Nvidia's AI Chip Dominance
Semiconductor startup Positron received $230 million in Series B funding to accelerate the deployment of its high-speed memory chips, a crucial component for AI workloads, according to TechCrunch. The funding round included participation from Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the country's sovereign wealth fund, which is increasingly focused on investing in AI infrastructure.
The Reno-based startup's Series B comes as hyperscalers and AI firms seek to reduce their reliance on Nvidia, the current leader in the AI chip market. Sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch that companies like OpenAI, despite being a major Nvidia customer, have expressed dissatisfaction with some of Nvidia's latest AI chips.
Meanwhile, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan announced at the Cisco AI Summit on Tuesday that Intel will begin producing graphics processing units (GPUs), a market currently dominated by Nvidia, TechCrunch reported. GPUs are specialized processors used for gaming and training artificial intelligence models, unlike the CPUs Intel traditionally produces. Kevork Kechichian, the executive vice president and general manager of Intel's data center group, will oversee the project, according to Reuters. Kechichian was hired in September as part of a wave of new engineer-focused hires.
In other tech news, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is seeking more information from Google regarding its plans to integrate a checkout feature into its Gemini AI chatbot, The Verge reported. In a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Warren expressed concerns about the types and amount of data Google will share with retail partners.
Adobe reversed its decision to discontinue Adobe Animate on March 1st, The Verge reported. According to an FAQ released by the company, Animate will now be in maintenance mode and will continue to receive ongoing security and bug fixes. While it will remain available for new and existing users, it will not receive new features. The decision comes after many creators voiced frustration over the initial announcement.
In climate tech, India-based Varaha raised $20 million in fresh funding to scale carbon removal projects from the Global South, TechCrunch reported. The investment is the first portion of a planned $45 million Series B round led by WestBridge Capital, with participation from existing investors including RTP Global and Omnivore. Founded in 2022, Varaha has raised approximately $33 million in equity to date, along with $35 million in project financing and $500,000 in grants, to build carbon removal projects across Asia and Africa. India is becoming an increasingly important hub for carbon removal projects due to its lower operating costs and deep agricultural supply.
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