Cognichip has launched from stealth with $33 million in seed funding.
The round was led by Lux Capital and Mayfield, with support from FPV and Candou Ventures.
Founded by experts from Amazon, Google, Apple, Synopsys, Aquantia, and KLA, the San Francisco-based startup has developed a “physics-informed foundational model” specifically targeted at semiconductor design and which aims to reduce the amount of manual labor involved in the current chip design process.
Cognichip claims that organizations that deploy its Artificial Chip Intelligence (ACI) model will see 50 percent faster design cycles, 75 percent reduction in development costs, and improved power, performance, and efficiency.
However, in an interview with TechCrunch, Faraj Aalaei, CEO and founder of Cognichip, conceded that it would likely take a few years to build the model to “ultimate performance” but said that even in the interim, it should still start to benefit chip design companies.
“Our vision is to fundamentally reshape the economics of semiconductor design,” said Aalaei in comments published alongside the announcement.
He added: “With the rise of Generative AI, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink how chips are designed. I founded Cognichip to disrupt the outdated chip design process and to make semiconductor innovation scalable, secure, and accessible to aspiring future pioneers of our industry. To tackle this massive task, we have assembled a pioneer-minded team stacked with AI scientists with world-class credentials, brilliant chip design veterans, and the best-of-breed enterprise software developers.”
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