FuriosaAI, a South Korean AI chip startup, has secured a significant contract with LG, marking a major milestone after declining an $800 million acquisition offer from Meta. Founded in 2017, FuriosaAI is focused on designing AI chips to compete with Nvidia. The company's flagship product, the RNGD (Renegade) chip, is designed for high-performance inference in large language models and multimodal applications.
The RNGD chip, manufactured using TSMC's 5nm process, incorporates SK Hynix's HBM3 memory and offers enhanced power efficiency. It leverages a Tensor Contraction Processor architecture, balancing efficiency, programmability, and performance. Testing has demonstrated impressive throughput with models like GPT-J and Llama 3.1. LG AI Research has been testing Renegade with its EXAONE AI model, with positive results suggesting the supply agreement.
FuriosaAI's chips are designed as faster, more energy-efficient alternatives to GPUs, addressing bottlenecks in AI deployment. The company's focus on AI inference distinguishes it from general-purpose chip manufacturers. By remaining independent, FuriosaAI aims to further innovate and expand its market presence, challenging established players like Nvidia, AMD, and Intel.
