Meta has acquired RISC-V chip startup Rivos to supercharge its in-house semiconductor development, advancing its AI hardware independence and reinforcing its strategy to compete with Nvidia in the global AI race. (Source: Image by RR)

Acquisition Marks a Comeback for Rivos after Legal Battles with Apple

Meta has acquired Rivos, a Santa Clara–based semiconductor startup specializing in RISC-V–based AI inferencing chips, according to a Bloomberg report. While terms of the deal remain undisclosed, Rivos had previously been seeking $500 million in funding at a $2 billion valuation, signaling a potentially large-scale acquisition for Meta. Founded in 2021, Rivos completed its first AI chip design earlier this year and sent it to TSMC for trial production, with a public release originally planned for 2026.

The acquisition, as noted in datacenterdynamics.com, underscores Meta’s push to reduce dependence on Nvidia hardware and strengthen its in-house semiconductor program, which includes the Meta Training and Inference Accelerator (MTIA) chips. The MTIA, built on a 7nm process and capable of 102 TOPS of integer performance, represents Meta’s attempt to control the full AI hardware stack powering its data centers and generative AI workloads. However, reports indicate CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been dissatisfied with the pace of progress, prompting Meta to pursue external expertise to bolster its chip division.

The deal follows Meta’s failed $800 million bid for South Korean chipmaker FuriosaAI earlier this year and marks a turning point for Rivos, which had faced legal challenges from Apple over alleged theft of trade secrets. The companies settled their lawsuits in early 2024, but Rivos endured layoffs and delayed fundraising efforts during the dispute. Now, under Meta’s umbrella, Rivos’ technology and engineering talent will likely play a key role in advancing Meta’s AI infrastructure.

A Meta spokesperson confirmed the acquisition, stating, “Our custom silicon work is progressing quickly, and this will further accelerate our efforts.” With Rivos’ RISC-V expertise, Meta gains valuable open-source architecture flexibility—potentially lowering long-term costs and reducing reliance on proprietary chip vendors—as it races to optimize AI performance across its global data centers.

read more at datacenterdynamics.com