An acquisition announcement that flew under the radar yesterday but then I only noticed today with a GCC MAINTAINERS file update, “with the acquisition of Ventana Microsystems by Qualcomm…” Qualcomm has acquired Ventana as a RISC-V high performance CPU start-up.
Qualcomm announced on Wednesday they are acquiring Ventana Micro Systems to deepen their in-house RISC-V CPU expertise.
Qualcomm will use their new talent from Ventana to work on their Oryon CPU team:
“The Ventana team will complement Qualcomm’s existing efforts to develop custom Oryon CPU technology.”
Currently Oryon is ARM-based but will be interesting to see if/when they turn to RISC-V or if it at this stage it’s just for exploratory purposes or as a backstop in case things get too sour in their relations with Arm.
“Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. today announced the acquisition of Ventana Micro Systems Inc., underscoring its commitment to advancing the RISC-V standard and ecosystem. This strategic move strengthens Qualcomm’s CPU capabilities by integrating Ventana’s expertise in RISC-V ISA development. The Ventana team will complement Qualcomm’s ongoing RISC-V and custom Oryon CPU development, further advancing technology leadership in the AI era across all businesses.”
It will be interesting to see what comes of Qualcomm and RISC-V usage in the years ahead.
