Company Profile: Openchip & Software Technologies

Background

Openchip & Software Technologies is a European semiconductor company founded in 2021 and headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. The company specializes in designing and developing high-performance, energy-efficient accelerators based on the RISC-V architecture, targeting applications in High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Openchip's mission is to lead the development of next-generation European chips, thereby contributing to Europe's digital sovereignty and democratizing access to key technologies. Their solutions aim to accelerate research in various scientific fields, including genomics, meteorology, protein design, astrophysics, energy, aerospace, and advanced simulations, all of which have significant social and transformative impacts.

Key Strategic Focus

Openchip's strategic focus encompasses:

Core Objectives: Developing modular, energy-efficient System-on-Chip (SoC) solutions that integrate RISC-V architecture with AI accelerators to meet the growing demands of HPC and AI applications.

Areas of Specialization: Concentrating on hardware acceleration architectures for AI, HPC, and critical embedded systems, with a commitment to enhancing energy efficiency and performance.

Key Technologies Utilized: Leveraging RISC-V architecture, chiplet technology, and UCIe open interfaces to design scalable and secure SoCs.

Primary Markets Targeted: Serving sectors such as healthcare, smart industries, high-performance computing, aerospace, and defense, with a focus on applications requiring advanced computational capabilities.

Financials and Funding

Openchip has secured substantial funding to support its ambitious projects:

European Union Support: Recognized as a strategic player by the European Commission, Openchip has been selected for major EU-funded initiatives, including €111 million from the Next Generation EU fund, the IPCEI ME/CT program, and the €240 million DARE project under Horizon Europe.

Investment Plans: The company plans a total investment of €500 million, with the initial €111 million allocated to infrastructure development, talent acquisition, and research and development activities.

Pipeline Development

Openchip is actively developing several key products:

Vector Computing Accelerator: In collaboration with NEC and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Openchip is developing a Vector Computing Accelerator for next-generation supercomputers based on RISC-V architecture. This project aims to optimize computing workloads for scientific research areas such as genomic computing, personalized medicine, weather forecasting, engineering simulations, and protein design.

Data Processing Unit (DPU): Through a strategic partnership with Kalray, Openchip is co-developing a DPU tailored for AI applications. This initiative involves a two-phase industrial cooperation, starting with a non-exclusive intellectual property license agreement and progressing to a service agreement focused on developing a specialized version of Kalray's next-generation 4nm Dolomites DPU chip.

Technological Platform and Innovation

Openchip's technological innovations include:

Proprietary Technologies: Development of modular, energy-efficient SoCs based on RISC-V architecture, integrating AI accelerators and utilizing chiplet technology.

Significant Scientific Methods: Employing a full-stack hardware-software co-design approach to ensure seamless integration and optimization of hardware and software components.

AI-Driven Capabilities: Focusing on AI acceleration to enhance performance in HPC applications, with an emphasis on energy efficiency and scalability.

Leadership Team

Openchip's leadership comprises experienced professionals:

Francesc Guim: CEO, with extensive experience in semiconductor and AI system design.

Ignacio Astilleros: Chief Scientific Officer, overseeing research and development initiatives.

Marc Fernández: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate General Manager, managing financial strategy and corporate operations.

Steven Latré: Chief AI & Software Systems Officer, leading AI strategy and development efforts.

Leadership Changes

In March 2025, Openchip appointed Steven Latré as Chief AI & Software Systems Officer. Steven joined from imec, where he led groundbreaking AI research initiatives and served as Vice President of AI & Algorithms. His expertise in integrating sensor technologies and chip design with AI is expected to drive Openchip's AI strategy forward.

Competitor Profile

Market Insights and Dynamics

The semiconductor industry is experiencing rapid growth, driven by increasing demand for AI and HPC applications. The market is characterized by a push towards energy-efficient and high-performance solutions, with a focus on achieving digital sovereignty and reducing reliance on non-European technologies.

Competitor Analysis

Key competitors in the semiconductor industry include:

NVIDIA: Specializes in GPUs and AI accelerators, dominating the AI and HPC markets.

Intel: Offers a broad range of processors and is investing heavily in AI and HPC technologies.

AMD: Provides competitive CPUs and GPUs, with a strong presence in both consumer and enterprise markets.

Kalray: Focuses on DPUs for AI and data-intensive applications, with whom Openchip has established a strategic partnership.

Strategic Collaborations and Partnerships

Openchip has formed several significant partnerships to enhance its market position and innovation capacity:

Imec: Signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding to advance AI technologies, combining Openchip's expertise in semiconductor and AI system design with imec's research in AI, sensor technologies, and chip design.

NEC and Barcelona Supercomputing Center: Collaborating to develop next-generation supercomputers based on RISC-V architecture, aiming to optimize computing workloads for various scientific research areas.

Kalray: Entered into a strategic industrial cooperation agreement to develop a DPU for AI applications, involving a two-phase collaboration starting with a non-exclusive intellectual property license agreement.

Operational Insights

Openchip's strategic considerations include:

Talent Acquisition: Establishing research and development centers across Europe, including in Gdańsk, Poland, to attract top-tier specialists and support R&D projects dedicated to developing modern processors and accelerators for data centers and HPC.

European Digital Sovereignty: Committed to contributing to Europe's digital sovereignty by developing European-designed chips and reducing reliance on non-European technologies.

Energy Efficiency: Focusing on designing energy-efficient accelerators to meet European energy efficiency standards and support sustainable technological development.

Strategic Opportunities and Future Directions

Openchip's strategic roadmap includes:

Product Development: Advancing the development of Vector Computing Accelerators and DPUs to meet the growing demands of AI and HPC applications.

Market Expansion: Targeting sectors such as healthcare, smart industries, aerospace, and defense to expand the application of their technologies.

Research and Development: Continuing to invest in R&D to stay at the forefront of semiconductor innovation and maintain a competitive edge in the market.