Semiconductor veterans secure $3.7M seed funding to launch a universal RISC-V processor that eliminates the need for specialized chips, enabling advanced AI at no additional cost in embedded systems by reimagining IBM's 1967 processing approach
Düsseldorf, Nov. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For over half a century, general-purpose processors have been built on the Tomasulo algorithm, developed by IBM engineer Robert Tomasulo in 1967. It's a $500B industry built on specialised CPU, GPU and other chips for different computing tasks. Hardware startup Ubitium has shattered this paradigm with a breakthrough universal processor that handles all computing workloads on a single, efficient chip - unlocking simpler, smarter, and more cost-effective devices across industries - while revolutionizing a 57-year-old industry standard.
Alongside this, Ubitium is announcing a $3.7 million in seed funding round, co-led by Runa Capital, Inflection, and KBC Focus Fund. The investment will be used to develop the first prototypes and prepare initial development kits for customers, with the first chips planned for 2026.
Ubitium founders Martin Vorbach and Hyun Shin Sho
Ubitium was founded by semiconductor veterans dedicated to revolutionizing processor architecture. CTO Martin Vorbach, who holds over 200 semiconductor patents licensed by major U.S. chip companies, spent 15 years developing this groundbreaking technology. Drawing from his pioneering work in reconfigurable computing, he created a workload-agnostic microarchitecture that allows the same transistors to be reused for different processing tasks-eliminating the need for multiple specialized cores and enabling AI at no additional cost. Working between Germany and Cupertino, California, Vorbach's innovation forms the foundation of Ubitium's mission.
Vorbach met CEO Hyun Shin Cho at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). After two decades of gaining insights across various industrial sectors, Cho reunited with Vorbach to commercialize the technology. Completing the team is Chairman Peter Weber, a veteran of Intel, Texas Instruments, and Dialog Semiconductor, who brings extensive industry expertise.
"The $500 billion processor industry is built on restrictive boundaries between computing tasks," says Hyun Shin Cho, CEO of Ubitium. "We're erasing those boundaries. Our Universal Processor does it all - CPU, GPU, DSP, FPGA - in one chip, one architecture. This isn't an incremental improvement. It is a paradigm shift. This is the processor architecture the AI era demands."
"For too long, we've accepted that making devices intelligent means making them complex. Multiple processors or processor cores, multiple development teams, endless integration challenges-today, that changes. Our Universal Processor delivers workload-agnostic and AI-enabling compute capabilities to edge devices with a single chip, at a fraction of the cost to develop and manufacture compared to today's offerings.”
With the semiconductor market projected to exceed $700 billion by 2025, Ubitium's technology initially targets embedded systems and robotics. By simplifying system architectures and reducing costs, Ubitium's processor makes advanced computing capabilities accessible across all industries without requiring specialized hardware for each application-enabling advanced AI at no additional cost.
Dmitry Galperin, a Berlin-based General Partner at Runa Capital, commented: "We're impressed by Ubitium's unique approach to processor microarchitecture, which is now able to adapt to any type of workload-from simple control logic to massive parallel data flow processing."
"What Ubitium brings will provide a real breakthrough to develop and launch any new product with embedded electronics. Their approach will reduce the cost as well as the complexity, allowing a much faster time-to-market. What previously required multiple teams to collaborate on hardware and software design now becomes purely a software project," said Rudi Severijns, Investment Director at KBC Focus Fund.
"Ubitium was a perfect fit as a contrarian bet on a stellar team working on generalized compute capacity in a world of chip specialization," said Jonatan Luther-Bergquist, Partner at Inflection.
"We are excited to see Ubitium leveraging the flexibility and scalability of the RISC-V architecture,” said Calista Redmond, CEO of RISC-V International. "Their innovative approach to universal processor design exemplifies the freedom of innovation made possible by the RISC-V Instruction Set Architecture and highlights the potential for RISC-V to drive advancements in edge computing and AI applications.”
Looking ahead, Ubitium plans to develop a complete portfolio of chips that vary in array size but share the same microarchitecture and software stack-enabling solutions from small embedded devices to high-performance computing systems. This super-scalable approach allows customers to scale their applications without changing their development process, while the workload-agnostic design ensures the processor can adapt to handle any computing task without specialized hardware modifications. The company's goal is to establish its universal processor as the new standard that finally breaks down the cost and complexity barriers that have limited the deployment of advanced computing and AI capabilities across industries.
"We envision a future where every device operates autonomously, making intelligent decisions in real time and transforming the way we interact with technology," added Hyun Shin Cho.
Ends
Notes to the editor
Media images can be found here. For further information please contact the Ubitium press office: Bilal Mahmood on [email protected] or +44 (0) 771 400 7257.
About Ubitium
Ubitium is developing the universal RISC-V microprocessor. Solving computing's complexity and cost problem to create a future where every device is autonomous. To learn more, visit https://ubitium.com.
About Runa Capital
Founded in 2010, Runa Capital is an international venture capital firm headquartered in Luxembourg that invests in enterprise software, deep tech and software for regulated industries, such as fintech, edutech and digital health. Runa's portfolio includes open-source software, AI, machine learning and quantum computing.
To date, Runa Capital has raised over €400 million and invested in more than 100 companies across Europe and North America, including Nginx (acquired by F5 Networks for $700 million), MariaDB, Zopa, Brainly, DrChrono, Smava, and Mambu.
The firm's founding partners have built several global software companies, including Acronis (valued at more than $3.5 billion after a round with Blackrock), Parallels (acquired by Corel), Odin (acquired by Ingram Micro), and Acumatica (acquired by private equity fund EQT Partners). For more information, please visit https://runacap.com
About Inflection
Inflection is a first-check venture firm pioneering the frontiers of sovereign computation. Out of our $40 million fund we support founders networks, capital and technology. Our platform is led by a seasoned team of operators, investors, engineers and researchers working from Berlin, Munich, Stockholm and Boston, MA. For more information, please visit https://inflection.xyz.
About KBC Focus Fund
The KBC Focus Fund is a €50 million venture capital fund that focuses on advanced technology companies ("Deeptech”) with international ambition. We've set ourselves as primary goal to boost the upcoming segments of nanotechnology, micro-electronics and Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoF) by contributing our funds but also our collective experience in venture capital as well as our deep industry network. We mainly focus on Belgium and surrounding countries where well-known expertise centers in this technological area are located.
The KBC Focus Fund leverages on the network and expertise of KBC Group and is managed by KBC Securities. KBC Securities has a solid knowledge of the tech ecosystem in Belgium and beyond with experienced teams in the M&A, Corporate Finance and Research & Sales departments. As part of KBC Group, the KBC Focus Fund aims to be long-term partners for entrepreneurs. For more information, please visit https://kbcsecurities.com/investment-services/kbc-focus-fund.
CONTACT: For further information please contact the Ubitium press office: Bilal Mahmood on [email protected] or +44 (0) 771 400 7257.
