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MIT spinout Vertical Semiconductor raises $11 million to develop efficient AI power chips

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Vertical Semiconductor, a startup spun out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has raised $11 million in funding to commercialize a new generation of gallium nitride (GaN) power chips designed to deliver electricity more efficiently to artificial intelligence data centers, the company announced on Wednesday.

Led by Playground Global, the funding will help the company bring its vertical transistor architecture to market. The technology aims to reduce the massive energy losses that occur when power is converted from grid-scale voltages to the tiny levels needed by microchips—losses that typically generate significant amounts of heat instead of usable power.

“That is power you are not delivering to computing tasks—it straight turns into heat,” said Matt Hershenson, a partner at Playground Global.

AI data centers, which power tools like ChatGPT, consume enormous amounts of electricity—comparable to that of entire cities. As a result, chipmakers including Renesas, Infineon, and Power Integrations are partnering with Nvidia to develop next-generation GaN power chips.

Vertical Semiconductor’s innovation lies in stacking transistor components vertically rather than spreading them horizontally, making the chips smaller, more efficient, and cooler. The company plans to deliver prototypes this year and begin full production in 2026.

The firm was co-founded by MIT professor Tomas Palacios and researcher Joshua Perozek, whose doctoral work laid the foundation for the technology. CEO Cynthia Liao, formerly of MIT Sloan, said the company’s chips could offer data center operators step-change energy savings rather than incremental improvements.

“We do believe we offer a compelling next-generation solution that is not just a couple of percentage points here and there, but actually a step-wise transformation,” Liao said.

Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger Joins Playground Global as General Partner

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Pat Gelsinger, the former CEO of Intel, has joined venture capital firm Playground Global as a general partner. In addition to his new role, Gelsinger has also joined the board of xLight, a startup focused on developing advanced chip manufacturing technology.

Playground Global and Gelsinger’s Role

Founded in 2015, Playground Global is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm with $1.2 billion in assets under management. The firm specializes in deep technology investments, including semiconductors and AI. Playground’s notable investments include MosaicML, an AI firm sold to Databricks in a $1.3 billion stock deal, and PsiQuantum, a quantum computing firm raising funds to build quantum computers in the U.S. and Australia.

Gelsinger, who left Intel after disagreements with its board over his turnaround strategy, will focus on supporting 10 to 20 of Playground’s portfolio companies. His mission is to identify technologies that can deliver breakthroughs, specifically those that can perform at least 10 times better than current solutions.

Focus on Innovation in Semiconductor Technology

One of Gelsinger’s first moves is to join xLight, a Playground portfolio company, as executive chairman. xLight is developing a new type of laser technology to produce extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light for chip manufacturing. This technology aims to use significantly less electricity than current EUV lasers, which are produced by ASML Holding, the industry leader in lithography machines.

Gelsinger believes that this new laser technology could significantly enhance chip production capabilities, making chips smaller and faster—a continuation of the progress first outlined by Moore’s Law, which predicts the doubling of transistors on a chip approximately every two years. He emphasized the importance of advancing these technologies domestically, particularly in the U.S., to ensure continued innovation in the semiconductor industry.

Looking Ahead

Gelsinger’s move to Playground Global signals his commitment to driving innovation in the semiconductor and tech industries. His extensive experience at Intel and deep understanding of chip manufacturing will bring valuable insights as he works to accelerate advancements in cutting-edge technologies that could shape the future of computing.