Intel has granted a startup, RosaicLabs Inc., access to its Atom processor technology, a rare move for the chipmaker. Rosaic's CEO, Amarjit Gill, and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan are longtime co-investors and have previously invested in other chip startups together.
This deal marks a rare instance of Intel sharing its core processor technology, potentially signaling a shift in its licensing strategy and enabling a startup with deep ties to its CEO to build custom chips based on Intel's architecture.
Intel has provided access to some of its processor technology to a new startup, RosaicLabs Inc., in a rare move for the U.S. chipmaker. The startup's CEO, Amarjit Gill, and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan are longtime co-investors and have previously collaborated on other chip ventures.
RosaicLabs filed its initial incorporation documents in May, with an amended filing in July naming Gill as CEO. Gill is described as a seasoned venture capital investor and chip industry executive who previously assisted Tan in building the founding team at Rivos, a chip company acquired by Meta last year. Tan served as chairman of Rivos at the time.
Both Tan and Gill were also seed-stage investors in Nuvia, another chip startup that was eventually sold to Qualcomm. The founding team of Rosaic includes veterans from Rivos, according to sources and documents reviewed by Reuters.
Intel is reportedly granting Rosaic access to its Atom technology, which is based on the company's x86 architecture and is designed for energy-efficient operation in mobile and edge devices. The chipmaker intends to supply register-transfer level (RTL) code for the Atom processor technology, enabling Rosaic to develop custom chip designs. This level of access to Intel's intellectual property is unusual, as the company has historically not widely licensed its x86 architecture or provided its Atom technology.
An amended Delaware filing for Rosaic indicates the company can pursue a seed funding round of up to $10 million. Executives would have the authority to incur capital expenditures under $5 million without requiring investor or board approval.