Qualcomm Acquires RISC-V Chip Designer Ventana Micro Systems

Qualcomm has acquired RISC-V startup Ventana to strengthen its CPU ambitions beyond mobile, 'reinforcing its commitment and leadership in the development of the RISC-V standard and ecosystem,' the company said in a press release. CRN Magazine reports: The San Diego-based company said Ventana's expertise in RISC-V, a free and open alternative to the Arm and x86 instruction set architectures, will enhance its CPU engineering capabilities and complement 'existing efforts to develop custom Oryon CPU technology.' Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Qualcomm, which has already been using RISC-V for some products outside the PC and server markets, said Ventana's contributions will boost its 'technology leadership in the AI era across all businesses,' indicating the broad impact expected by this acquisition. 'We believe the RISC-V instruction set architecture has the potential to advance the frontier on CPU technology, enabling innovation across products,' Durga Malladi, executive vice president and general manager of technology planning, edge solutions and data center for Qualcomm, said in a statement. 'The acquisition of Ventana Micro Systems marks a pivotal step in our journey to deliver industry-leading RISC-V-based CPU technology across products.'

Further reading: Qualcomm Is Buying Arduino, Releases New Raspberry Pi-Esque Arduino Board

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