Extropic Partners with US Commerce for Thermodynamic Chip Development
Extropic has secured a non-binding deal with the US Department of Commerce for up to $75 million to develop thermodynamic chips. These chips aim to drastically reduce power consumption compared to traditional GPUs, focusing on energy efficiency for advanced computing tasks.
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Extropic, a Massachusetts AI hardware startup, has entered into a non-binding letter of intent with the US Department of Commerce, potentially unlocking up to $75 million for the development of thermodynamic sampling units (TSUs). The funding is aimed at producing these chips in US semiconductor foundries, leveraging existing fabrication capacities rather than relying on advanced manufacturing nodes.
The TSUs are designed for probabilistic computing, utilizing CMOS transistors' thermodynamic fluctuations to enhance energy efficiency for generative computing tasks. Extropic's development includes plans for its initial Z1 chip and a future Z1.5 chip, establishing domestic production capabilities for thermodynamic computing hardware. This initiative aligns with efforts to strengthen the US semiconductor industry, expand manufacturing capacity, and create jobs, while addressing the growing constraints of electricity demand on modern computing.
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