FuriosaAI, a South Korean AI chip startup, has declined an $800 million acquisition offer from Meta Platforms Inc., choosing instead to pursue independent growth. The decision was influenced by differing visions regarding the company’s future and organizational structure post-acquisition.
Founded in 2017 by June Paik, a former engineer at Samsung Electronics and AMD, FuriosaAI specializes in developing high-performance AI inference chips. Its flagship product, the RNGD (pronounced “Renegade”) chip, is designed to compete with industry leaders like Nvidia, offering improved energy efficiency and performance.
Instead of selling to Meta, FuriosaAI has secured a significant partnership with LG AI Research. The collaboration involves supplying its RNGD chip for LG’s EXAONE platform, a next-generation hybrid AI model. This partnership aims to target key sectors such as electronics, finance, telecommunications, and biotechnology, both within South Korea and internationally .
CEO June Paik emphasized the importance of maintaining the company’s mission and contributing to sustainable AI computing. While FuriosaAI has not disclosed plans for new funding, the partnership with LG AI Research positions the company for continued growth and innovation in the AI hardware market.
