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NextSilicon Unveils New Processor to Compete with Intel, AMD, and Nvidia

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Israeli startup NextSilicon has announced the development of a new central processing unit (CPU) aimed at challenging industry leaders Intel and AMD, while positioning itself as an alternative to Nvidia’s computing systems. The company’s flagship “Maverick-2” chip is already in production and is designed for high-precision scientific computing tasks such as nuclear weapons modeling — an area historically dominated by Nvidia.

NextSilicon, which has raised $300 million in funding, revealed that its upcoming CPU is based on RISC-V, an open-source instruction set architecture increasingly adopted by major chipmakers like Nvidia and Broadcom. The CPU is currently a test prototype but will eventually complement the company’s Maverick-2 chip to create a more complete high-performance computing ecosystem.

The startup claims its chips can perform certain computations faster and more efficiently than Nvidia’s offerings, without requiring software rewrites. U.S. Sandia National Laboratories has been testing systems powered by NextSilicon chips for three years. According to senior scientist James H. Laros III, the results have been “impressive,” showing strong potential for advancing computational performance while minimizing code changes.

Metagenomi Uses Amazon’s AI Chips to Power Next-Gen Gene Editing

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Biotech company Metagenomi (MGX.O) has begun using Amazon Web Services’ custom AI chips to accelerate the discovery of new gene-editing technologies, marking one of the first major biotech applications of Amazon’s in-house silicon beyond large language models and chatbots.

The Emeryville, California-based firm, which is developing tools to deliver gene therapies directly into human cells, said AWS Inferentia chips have given it a major cost advantage over Nvidia’s AI hardware, cutting computational expenses by about half while maintaining comparable performance.

Metagenomi’s approach relies heavily on artificial intelligence to design and test enzymes capable of safely editing DNA. The company scans nature for rare proteins that might serve as effective delivery vehicles for genetic material and then uses AI to generate millions of variants in search of the most effective designs.

“We generated over a million different proteins from a rare class of enzymes used in gene editing,” said Chris Brown, Metagenomi’s head of discovery. “It was a clear cost advantage to use the Inferentia platform. Unless you cast a broad enough net early, you risk missing key breakthroughs entirely.”

Amazon’s Inferentia chips, first introduced in 2019 to enhance the AI capabilities of its Alexa virtual assistant, are now being used by other industries beyond software — with biotechnology emerging as a new frontier for AI-driven hardware.

By applying cloud-based AI to the complex problem of gene delivery and editing, Metagenomi hopes to make treatments for genetic disorders faster and more affordable, while demonstrating how custom AI infrastructure can accelerate scientific discovery.

Intel’s Results to Reveal If Multibillion-Dollar Rescue Plan Is Working

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All eyes are on Intel’s third-quarter earnings report this Thursday, as investors look for signs that a wave of multibillion-dollar investments from Nvidia, SoftBank, and the U.S. government is stabilizing the struggling chipmaker under its new CEO Lip-Bu Tan.

The fresh funding has lifted Intel’s shares nearly 100% this year, outperforming even AI titan Nvidia, though expectations are high. Analysts expect a 1% drop in quarterly revenue to $13.14 billion, according to LSEG data, and a per-share loss of $0.22. Shares fell 4.5% on Wednesday, ahead of the results.

Investors are eager for clarity on whether the cash infusions are enough to revive Intel’s finances after years of costly manufacturing missteps under former CEO Pat Gelsinger. “The big question is: what does Intel’s big picture look like now, and what does their cash position look like?” said Joe Tigay, portfolio manager at Rational Equity Armor Fund.

The deals have handed Intel a crucial cash lifeline:
– Nvidia invested $5 billion, acquiring about a 4% stake.
– SoftBank added another $2 billion.
– The U.S. government took a 10% stake worth $8.9 billion, after tensions over Tan’s China ties sparked political backlash.

While these moves strengthen liquidity, they also dilute Intel’s earnings per share, analysts warn. “Share dilution is the least of Intel shareholders’ worries,” said Ryuta Makino of Gabelli Funds, noting that investors are focused on the company’s long-term strategy.

Despite new funding, Intel continues to lose ground to AMD and Arm-based rivals in CPUs, while remaining a minor player in the AI chip market dominated by Nvidia. However, the company is seeing renewed strength in PCs, with shipments rising 8% globally, and its PC division revenue expected to jump 11% to $8.12 billion.

Intel’s Panther Lake processor, built on its new 18A manufacturing node, is expected to begin shipping by late 2025 — a key test for Tan’s revised strategy, which scaled back Gelsinger’s aggressive factory expansion.

Revenue in Intel’s data center unit is projected to grow 18% to $3.95 billion, fueled by booming demand for server CPUs that pair with AI GPUs. The manufacturing segment, however, is expected to stay flat at $4.37 billion.

“The markets are giving Intel a lot of patience,” said Tigay. “These investments buy them time — but soon, the products will need to speak for themselves.”