A Rare Move from Intel: Company to Share Atom Source Code

Intel is preparing to grant little-known startup RosaicLabs access to key processor manufacturing technologies. According to Reuters, this move diverges from the chipmaker's traditional policy, but it is easily explained by the personal and business ties to the startup.

Who is Behind the Startup

RosaicLabs Inc. was incorporated in Delaware in May of this year. It is headed by Amarjit Gill, an experienced venture investor and semiconductor industry veteran. Gill and current Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan share a long history of collaboration:

• In the past, they co-invested in the early-stage startup Nuvia (later acquired by Qualcomm).
• Gill helped Tan form the founding team at Rivos, where Tan served as chairman of the board. Notably, last year Rivos was acquired by Meta, which outbid Intel's own offer.
• According to sources, the Rosaic team also includes specialists who previously worked at Rivos.

What Intel Will Share

Intel will provide Rosaic with access to the core technologies behind the Atom processor family. This decision sets a precedent, as the chipmaker has historically been extremely reluctant to license both the x86 architecture as a whole and Atom solutions in particular. The primary value of the Atom line lies in its high energy efficiency and low heat generation, which are critical for mobile and edge computing.

Furthermore, Intel intends to provide the startup with Register Transfer Level (RTL) code, which describes the chip's logic and functions in detail. Access to this code will give Rosaic complete freedom to build custom solutions based on Intel's intellectual property.