COMPANIES · AI CHIPS & NETWORKING

Tenstorrent

Tenstorrent is a private semiconductor company, founded by chip architect Jim Keller, that designs RISC-V-based AI processors and licenses chip and chiplet IP to other manufacturers.

DirectAI chips & networking
What it does

Tenstorrent is a private semiconductor company, founded by chip architect Jim Keller, that designs RISC-V-based AI processors and licenses chip and chiplet IP to other manufacturers.

Why it matters

Tenstorrent has raised roughly $800 million across strategic funding rounds from investors including Samsung, Hyundai and LG to develop AI accelerator chips positioned as lower-cost alternatives to Nvidia GPUs.

How it makes money

Tenstorrent makes money by designing and selling AI accelerator chips and boards, and by licensing its RISC-V processor and chiplet IP to other chip makers.

Geography

United States (Santa Clara, California), founded in Toronto, Canada

AI stack position

AI chips and networking. The companies designing the processors, accelerators and networking equipment that do the actual computing behind AI, including GPUs like NVIDIA's, and the high-speed connections that link thousands of them together.

Connections (4)

Every connection below is tied to a readable source, date, classification and statement of its limits. A company source establishes what that company stated; it does not necessarily provide independent confirmation.

Current relationships (1)

Samsung Electronics licenses RISC-V and AI IP from Tenstorrent
Uses technology fromCurrent
Tenstorrent's June 30, 2026 newsroom announcement states Samsung licensed Tenstorrent's TT-Ascalon RISC-V CPU and Tensix AI core IP for chip design, alongside LG Electronics as a separate licensee.

Source: 2026-06-30 · reviewed 2026-09-22

Evidence: Primary-source statement · Reported operating

Limits: Does not specify which Samsung products will incorporate the licensed IP, license fees, or timeline; this is separate from Samsung Electronics' existing equity investment in Tenstorrent.

Tenstorrent Sets New Performance Records, Launches TT-Ascalon S, and Expands Across Japan ↗

Dated or announced (1)

Samsung Electronics invested in via Catalyst Fund Tenstorrent
Invested inDated / announced
Samsung's Catalyst Fund co-led, alongside Hyundai Motor Group, a $100 million strategic funding round in Tenstorrent announced in August 2023.

Source: 2023-08-02 · reviewed 2026-09-20

Evidence: Primary-source statement · Completed

Limits: This confirms one funding round co-led by Samsung's venture arm; it does not establish an ownership percentage, a supply relationship, or that Samsung Electronics as a whole has an operating partnership with Tenstorrent.

Tenstorrent Raises a $100M Strategic Up-round Co-led by Hyundai Motor Group and the Samsung Catalyst Fund ↗

Comparisons (2)

Tenstorrent competes with in AI accelerators NVIDIA
Competes withComparison only
Reporting on Tenstorrent's $693 million Series D round in December 2024 described the company as building RISC-V-based AI accelerator chips intended to compete with Nvidia in the AI chip market.

Source: 2024-12-02 · reviewed 2026-09-20

Evidence: Analytical comparison · Reported operating

Limits: This reflects framing used by journalists covering Tenstorrent's funding; it does not prove Tenstorrent chips currently displace Nvidia GPUs at any customer or that Tenstorrent has comparable market share or performance.

Tenstorrent Raises $693 Million in Series D to Compete with NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) in AI Accelerator Market ↗
Tenstorrent competing as non-GPU AI inference chip alternatives Cerebras Systems
Competes withComparison only
Tenstorrent and Cerebras are both frequently grouped as non-GPU AI inference chip challengers offering alternative architectures to NVIDIA GPUs for AI compute.

Source: Source undated · reviewed 2026-09-20

Evidence: Analytical comparison · Ongoing market competition in the non-GPU AI inference hardware segment

Limits: Reflects a category overlap in non-GPU inference-chip positioning; does not reflect market share, head-to-head customer wins, or financial performance.

Groq, Cerebras, and Tenstorrent: the non-GPU inference bet, one year in ↗

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Inclusion in this database is not an endorsement of a company or its securities. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell anything, and none of it is individualized investment advice. See the disclosures. Data: AI Map v3.22, released .