Korean Startups Pursue Nvidia in Tech Race

Two innovative fabless chip companies in Korea, Rebellions and Sapeon, have emerged as key players in the realm of AI chip design. These companies were founded with the singular goal of pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence technology through cutting-edge chip development.

Rebellions, a relatively young company at just three years old, made waves in the industry by securing an impressive $128 million in its recent Series B funding round. Led by CEO Sunghyun Park, a seasoned professional with a background that includes stints at Morgan Stanley and Starlink, Rebellions is poised for success. Park, who holds a PhD from MIT, brings a wealth of experience to the table, positioning Rebellions as a formidable player in the competitive chip design landscape.

Collaboration is key in the tech industry, and Rebellions has strategically partnered with Samsung Foundry to work on the development and packaging of their flagship AI chip, aptly named 'Rebel'. Samsung Foundry, a renowned name in semiconductor manufacturing, will handle the fabrication of this groundbreaking chip, which is specifically tailored for AI inference tasks.

On the other hand, Sapeon, backed by SK Telecom, has been making waves of its own with its innovative approach to chip design. Embracing the slogan "One tiny spark for a chip, a quantum leap for the AI inference," Sapeon is on a mission to revolutionize the AI landscape. The company's flagship chip, the X330, boasts an impressive 367 TFLOPS of performance and is specifically optimized for inference acceleration.

Under the leadership of CEO Soojung Ryu, a Georgia Tech PhD with a deep understanding of cutting-edge technologies, Sapeon is making significant strides in the industry. The X330 chip is being developed using TSMC's advanced 7nm process, a testament to Sapeon's commitment to leveraging the latest technologies to deliver top-notch performance. Scheduled for release to customers in June, the X330 chip is poised to make a significant impact in the world of AI chip design.