Eindhoven-based chipmaker Axelera AI has secured over $250 million (€211 million) from investors. The company develops energy-efficient semiconductors designed specifically to run artificial intelligence models. American investment giant BlackRock joined this funding round as a new investor, which was led by the European venture capital fund Innovation Industries.
Axelera AI focuses on chips for inference. This is the process where trained AI models make predictions or decisions based on incoming data. While this typically occurs in the cloud, it can also happen locally on devices such as smartphones and security cameras. The manufacturer’s chips are designed for these “on-device” applications to reduce reliance on massive data centers and traditional graphics processors, such as those produced by Nvidia.
CEO Fabrizio Del Maffeo stated that Axelera AI faces a “large and increasing stream of opportunities requiring investment.” He noted that customers seek more accessible computing power, higher efficiency, and ways to lower the costs of expensive AI infrastructure. By performing inference on a device via a decentralized chip, the need for energy-intensive data centers decreases. This technology is becoming increasingly popular due to the strain on power grids and rising energy costs for consumers.
Although Nvidia chips remain dominant, the market for energy-efficient semiconductors is growing. Since its founding in 2021, Axelera AI has raised more than $450 million. The company reports that its customer base more than tripled over the past year.
Dutch semiconductor firm Axelera AI has raised $250 million to expand its production of energy-efficient AI chips. By focusing on “inference” technology, the company aims to move AI processing away from massive data centers and directly onto local devices.
It’s fascinating to see a European firm like Axelera AI gaining such significant backing to challenge the dominance of giants like Nvidia.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
