Cognichip Raises $33M to Accelerate Chip Design with AI

Cognichip Uses Generative AI to Revolutionize Chip Design

The AI industry relies heavily on chips. However, new chip development lags behind the rapid pace of AI model and product innovation. Cognichip aims to change this with its "artificial chip intelligence."

The San Francisco-based startup has secured $33 million in seed funding to develop a physics-informed foundational AI model. This model will help semiconductor companies accelerate the chip design process, potentially reducing development time and costs by 50%.

From Semiconductor Veteran to AI Innovator

Cognichip's founder, Faraj Aalaei, is a semiconductor industry veteran with experience at companies like Fujitsu Network Communications and Centillium Communications. Aalaei identified a decline in semiconductor venture capital investment as early as 2015, recognizing the need for fundamental change in the industry.

After founding Candou Ventures in 2016 and witnessing the rise of AI startups, Aalaei launched Cognichip in 2024. The company has assembled a team of AI experts from institutions like Stanford, Google, and MIT.

Building the Future of Chip Design

Cognichip's AI model is still under development, but Aalaei believes it will eventually function like an expert engineer. This will enable companies to achieve the same results with fewer resources and significantly less time.

“When we achieve this vision, you can get the same work done with a fraction of the people and in much, much shorter time.” - Faraj Aalaei

The $33 million seed round was co-led by Lux Capital and Mayfield, with participation from FPV and Candou Ventures. Mayfield managing partner, Navin Chaddha, believes Cognichip's solution addresses a critical pain point in the trillion-dollar semiconductor industry.

Democratizing Chip Development

Aalaei hopes Cognichip will democratize access to chip building, enabling more semiconductor companies to launch and secure funding. This could also empower smaller companies to create specialized chips for niche applications.

Cognichip's ambitious goal is to fundamentally transform the chip design process. Aalaei emphasizes that this is not an incremental improvement but a paradigm shift for the industry.

Learn more about Cognichip at cognichip.ai.