Rapidus establishes subsidiary in Silicon Valley
Japanese chip manufacturer Rapidus is targeting the the lucrative US market by setting up a division in the backyard of some of the country's biggest tech firms.
The new division, Rapidus Design Solutions LLC, will be located in Santa Clara, California, and will be headed by President and General Manager Henri Richard. His CV includes senior positions at Advanced Micro Devices and IBM.
Rapidus was formed in 2022 with investment from major Japanese companies such as Toyota Motor and Sony Group. Its vision is to create a semiconductor fab that can compete with TSMC, Samsung and Intel – and put Japan back at the centre of the advanced chip making space.
Rapidus plans to mass produce 2-nanometer chips from 2027, and recently announced that it will collaborate with IBM in a cash and resources partnership to make this happen. As part of this arrangement, more than 100 Rapidus scientists and engineers currently work alongside IBM researchers in New York.
Rapidus also has a lot of government support. Earlier this month, Japan's industry ministry approved subsidies worth up to 590 billion yen (USD 3.9 billion) in support for the fab.
With the launch of this new US subsidiary, Rapidus is clearly positioning itself to serve US tech companies looking for an alternative to the incumbent chip foundries.
Dr Atsuyoshi Koike, president and CEO o Rapidus Corporation, said. “With the opening of our office in the Silicon Valley, combined with Henri’s extensive and impressive semiconductor experience, we’re ensuring that our customers have the best support –from Japan and the US – to address their design and manufacturing needs.”
