Intel has quietly shared its proprietary Atom processor blueprints with a stealth chip startup called RosaicLabs. This highly unusual transfer of x86 design files gives the newly formed company full access to the underlying logic of Intel silicon. However, the exact commercial goals of the partnership remain highly guarded secrets.
According to corporate documents reviewed by Reuters, RosaicLabs incorporated in Delaware earlier this year and has operated without a public website or social media presence. The chief executive officer of the startup is Amarjit Gill, a veteran silicon investor with close ties to Intel chief executive officer Lip Bu Tan. The 2 leaders have a history of co investing in early stage chip firms, including a startup called Nuvia that eventually sold to Qualcomm. Gill also helped build Rivos, a custom processor designer that Meta acquired last year after outbidding Intel. Intel lost that bid.
Intel is shipping the actual register transfer level code for its Atom cores to RosaicLabs. This step represents a massive departure from standard licensing practices, as Intel rarely opens its x86 architecture blueprints to external designers. That is rare. Register transfer level code is the basic software blueprint used to define chip functions before they are manufactured in silicon. Access to these files allows a client to modify the core layout and build custom chips. The Atom architecture is prized for its low power draw and low heat generation, making it highly useful for mobile and edge computing devices.
Corporate records show the founding team at RosaicLabs includes several former executives from Rivos. An amended filing indicates that the startup is authorized to seek a seed funding round of up to $10,000,000. It also grants executives the freedom to make capital expenditures up to $5,000,000 without requiring board or investor approval. Intel declined to comment on the arrangement, and executives at the startup did not respond to inquiries.
