Meta announced on September 30, 2025, its acquisition of Rivos, a Santa Clara-based chip startup, to strengthen its custom semiconductor initiatives for AI applications.
Rivos’ Expertise
Rivos specializes in designing chips using the open-source RISC-V architecture, a competitor to Arm, Intel, and AMD designs. Backed by Intel’s CEO, the startup focuses on advanced AI system development.
Boosting Meta’s AI Goals
Yee Jiun Song, Meta’s vice president of engineering, said Rivos’ skills in full-stack AI systems will accelerate Meta’s work on its Meta Training and Inference Accelerator (MTIA), a custom chip family for AI tasks.
Financial Context
While financial details weren’t disclosed, industry sources suggest Rivos was nearing a funding round at a $2 billion valuation. Meta has been a major Rivos customer, fostering close ties before the deal.
Meta’s Chip Ambitions
Meta’s move aligns with its push to develop in-house chips, reducing reliance on costly Nvidia AI chips. Earlier in 2025, Meta tested its first custom chip to lower AI infrastructure expenses.
Industry Impact
The acquisition positions Meta to compete in the growing AI hardware market, leveraging RISC-V’s flexibility to enhance platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
Why It Matters
By acquiring Rivos, Meta aims to cut AI costs and boost performance, strengthening its tech innovation in a competitive landscape.
What’s Next
Meta will integrate Rivos’ team and technology in 2025, aiming to advance its AI chip capabilities and reduce external chip dependencies.
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