The Money TrailApril 11, 2026via TechCrunch Venture
Nvidia-backed SiFive hits $3.65 billion valuation for open AI chips
Why it matters
SiFive's funding round validates RISC-V as a viable alternative architecture for AI workloads, potentially disrupting Nvidia's chip ecosystem dominance and opening new pathways for open-source AI infrastructure.
Key signals
- SiFive achieves $3.65B valuation
- RISC-V-based chip designs (non-x86, non-ARM architecture)
- Nvidia backing signals strategic bet on open chip standards
- Positioned for open AI chip market
The hook
$3.65B. That's SiFive's new valuation—and it signals a major shift in AI chip architecture away from x86 and ARM.
The deal is interesting for a number of reasons, including that SiFive's chip designs are based on RISC-V, not x86 or ARM.
Relevance score:78/100