Australian semiconductor startup Syenta has raised $26 million for a novel manufacturing technique designed to alleviate critical supply chain bottlenecks for artificial intelligence chips. The company announced it will open a U.S. office in Arizona and welcome former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger to its board of directors.
Modern AI chips rely on advanced packaging, a process that has become a significant bottleneck for major chip designers. Syenta's CEO and co-founder Jekaterina Viktorova explained their technology uses an electrochemical transfer method to create copper wiring for the base layer, requiring 40% fewer steps and drastically reducing production time.
"This process takes minutes, as opposed to several hours, so it's a massive difference in how you build your copper interconnects," Viktorova stated.
Gelsinger, who led the financing round through his firm Playground Global, highlighted that Syenta's innovation will not only accelerate manufacturing but also enhance chip performance by improving connection speeds. He added that the technology promises a more standardized and available supply chain without sacrificing the density and performance gains that spurred complex chip designs.
Syenta is collaborating with multiple chip designers and aims for high-volume production by 2028. The funding round included participation from Australia’s National Reconstruction Fund and existing investors.