Tenstorrent CEO "Chip Master" Jim Keller recently stated that in addition to continuing to cooperate with TSMC to produce AI chips, he is also open to cooperation with major international manufacturers such as Intel, which has aroused great concern in the industry. Keller said that a diversified chip production strategy will help enhance innovation and production capacity flexibility to cope with the rapid growth of global demand for high-performance computing.
Tenstorrent was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Canada. It was founded by senior engineers from Apple and Intel, and is now helmed by Jim Keller. Focusing on the development of RISC-V architecture AI processors, the product adopts TSMC's 6nm process, with a development cost of approximately US$80 million, and is supplied to customers such as LG. Tenstorrent focuses on "chiplet" modular design, aiming to provide cheaper and more flexible AI acceleration solutions, breaking NVIDIA's monopoly on the high-end GPU market, and allowing small and medium-sized enterprises and developers to participate in the AI revolution.
In addition to existing production partners, Tenstorrent is also actively expanding international cooperation. It has signed an agreement with the Japanese government to assist in training 200 chip designers within five years and jointly invest US$50 million to support the revival of the Japanese semiconductor industry. Tenstorrent has also set up an office in Taiwan to expand its recruitment of R&D talents and strengthen its presence in Asia.
In terms of process technology, there are rumors in the industry that Tenstorrent is discussing 2nm cooperation with Japan's Rapidus, and may jointly develop an ecosystem with major manufacturers such as IBM. Rapidus 2 nanometer process sample design kit will be delivered in the first quarter of 2026, and the technology can compete with TSMC N2. In addition, there are also rumors in the market that NVIDIA is evaluating the possibility of incorporating Rapidus into the supply chain, but this has not been officially confirmed.
Although Tenstorrent products have begun shipping, revenue and large-scale production capacity data have not yet been made public. The company's current goal is to use open architecture and modular design to lower the threshold for AI chips and promote diversified development of the industry.
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