AI chip startup Etched defies skeptics, hits $10.3B valuation from big-name investors
- ID
- 7228
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 23 Jul 2026, 11:00 PM
- Fetched
- 23 Jul 2026, 11:52 PM
- Provider
- TechCrunch
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/23/ai-chip-startup-etched-defies-skeptics-hits-10-3b-valuation-from-big-name-investors/
- Source URL
- https://techcrunch.com/feed/
Summary
- Score
- 8.5
- Created
- 23 Jul 2026, 11:52 PM
- Tags
- Audience
- developersai_ml_learnerssaas_startup_founders
What happened
AI chip startup Etched has reached a $10.3 billion valuation with backing from major investors. The company claims its new chips and memory components accelerate AI model inference without requiring GPUs.
Why it matters
For Malaysian builders and founders, a shift away from GPU dependency could drastically lower inference costs and latency, opening up new possibilities for AI agents and ML applications while highlighting alternative hardware as a major startup opportunity.
Discussion angle
How a post-GPU hardware landscape could change the economics of deploying AI agents and ML models for startups.