Domestic artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor design startup FuriosaAI announced on the 31st that it has received an investment of KRW 170 billion. In this process, it was recognized with a corporate value exceeding KRW 1 trillion, achieving unicorn status (startups valued at over KRW 1 trillion).

The investment involved Korea Development Bank, IBK Industrial Bank, Keystone Partners, PI Partners, Daesung Startup Investment, and Kakao Investment. As the generative AI market seeks alternatives to reduce dependence on NVIDIA's graphics processing units (GPUs), the valuation of FuriosaAI, aiming to be an 'NVIDIA challenger,' is also on the rise. Recently, it supplied its second-generation AI semiconductor RNGD (Renegade) to LG AI Research Institute's large-scale language model 'Exaone.'

In March of this year, FuriosaAI rejected an acquisition proposal from Meta, the parent company of Facebook in the United States, and gained attention when President Lee Jae-myung visited during the presidential campaign.

Baek Jun-ho, CEO of FuriosaAI, stated, "This investment attraction signifies the market's strong trust in Furiosa's technology and vision," adding, "Securing global competitiveness in AI semiconductors is a mission that Korea must accomplish to emerge as one of the three major AI powers alongside the United States and China."

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