FuriosaAI Partners with LG AI to Rival Nvidia’s $3 trillion Market

• FuriosaAI to supply RENEGADE AI chips for LG's EXAONE, boosting performance and efficiency
• This collaboration positions FuriosaAI as a key challenger to Nvidia in the AI chip market

On June 22, 2024, CoinDesk Korea reported that South Korean semiconductor startup FuriosaAI has partnered with LG AI Research to supply its second-generation RENEGADE (pronounced "Renegade") AI chips for LG's cutting-edge EXAONE language models. This partnership marks a bold step for FuriosaAI as it challenges Nvidia's dominance in the AI hardware industry with its energy-efficient and cost-effective chip technology.

The report noted that FuriosaAI's RENEGADE chips will play a central role in powering EXAONE, LG’s next-generation hybrid AI model. Designed for deep learning inference—a critical function for executing large-scale language models—the RENEGADE chip features an advanced architecture built on a 5-nanometer process. The chip is optimized for performance, reportedly delivering 2.5 times better inference performance per watt compared to some GPU competitors, and with a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of just 60W, it offers a more environmentally sustainable alternative for data centers.

This collaboration supports LG’s vision to enhance AI capabilities across industries such as finance and manufacturing and for internal enterprise use with its proprietary AI agent, EXAONE Discovery. By leveraging FuriosaAI's energy-efficient hardware, LG aims to power its new EXAONE 4.0, a hybrid AI model that merges rapid response functionality with advanced reasoning and problem-solving capabilities for diverse applications.

FuriosaAI CEO June Paik expressed confidence in the partnership, emphasizing that the RENEGADE chip provides a compelling alternative to GPU-centric solutions by offering superior cost-effectiveness, energy efficiency, and sustainability. This deal allows the startup to solidify its reputation in a competitive market while maintaining its independence—a strategy that follows the company's recent decision to decline a $700 million acquisition offer from Google.