Osage University Partners has contributed to a second funding round for SiFive, which produces semiconductor technology developed by UC Berkeley researchers.
SiFive, a US-based fabless provider of customised semiconductors, raised $8.5m in a series B round yesterday that included spinout-focused investment firm Osage University Partners.
The round was led by Spark Capital, while existing shareholder Sutter Hill Ventures also participated. SiFive has now secured $13.5m in total funding.
SiFive provides customised semiconductors based on Risc-V, an instruction set architecture (ISA), which is the interface between a computer’s software and hardware.
All semiconductor companies, such as Intel and ARM, have developed their own ISA, but SiFive’s is free and open, with the business generating revenue through customisation of chips for a client’s specific needs.
Risc-V was developed by then-PhD candidates Yunsup Lee and Andrew Waterman with Krste Asanovic, professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at University of California, Berkeley.
The money will enable SiFive to cope with growing demand for its product. Todd Dagres, general partner at Spark Capital, will join SiFive’s board of directors.
Jack Kang, vice-president of product and business development at SiFive, said: “We are energised by the partnerships we have forged with our investors and their strong belief in SiFive’s mission.
“This investment will enable our continued growth for years to come, and will allow SiFive to further establish that alternatives really matter in an era where traditional silicon vendors no longer are the most innovative in the industry.”
