Massachusetts-based chip materials startup Impact Nano told the media on Thursday that it was granted $32 million in funding from various investors, including Intel’s Intel Capital and Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
Meanwhile, reports are also circulating that Intel may discontinue its Core i5 and Core i7 computer processors by the company.
Inventing new ways
Impact Nano is a startup that produces specialty chemicals for the semiconductor industry and various other industries.
The funding Impact Nano won from investors like Intel and Goldman Sachs will be utilized to expand its factory in Massachusetts.
Impact Nano CEO and co-founder Matthew Stephens said the startup is inventing new ways to make chemics that chip makers utilize. He said among the startup’s focus areas are increasing the chemicals’ purity, looking for raw materials that are more prevalent and comply with ethics, and turning the processes into becoming more eco-friendly.
As the United States aims to revitalize semiconductor manufacturing with the CHIPS and Science Act, it will need to invest in enhancing the broader supply chain aside from the multibillion-dollar chip-making facilities.
The CHIPS and Science Act is a United States federal statute that the 117th Congress enacted. In August 2022, President Joe Biden signed this into law. The act provides an estimated $280 billion in new funding to accelerate domestic research and semiconductor manufacturing in the country.
However, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has affected the chip industry, particularly its chemical aspect. This is because Ukraine is a significant producer of neon gas, a key material used in chip production.
Stephens said, “Many of the chemicals that we’ve been asked to synthesize so far are not currently made in North America. And they are made in regions of political instability.”
The Impact Nano CEO also said their company is looking to apply some of the funding from the CHIPS and Science Act to support the semiconductor manufacturing suppliers.
Intel Capital is a division of Intel Corporation, which manages corporate venture capital, global investment, mergers, and acquisitions.
Goldman Sachs Asset Management is one of the world’s leading asset managers and is under Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
Intel’s Core i5, i7 may be discontinued
Intel reportedly stated that it is discontinuing its Core “i” naming scheme beginning with its upcoming Meteor Lake chips.
The company has been producing and releasing processors with the “i” naming for quite a long time, particularly with its Core i3, i5, i7, and i9. However, they said that the upcoming chips, including its Meteor Lake chips, will no longer bear the Core “i” naming scheme in favor of Core Ultra.
As of press time, Intel has no details on how it will differentiate between various chips following Core Ultra. Speculations say consumers will still see the i3, i5, i7, and i9 processors but with Core Ultra attached instead of the Core “i” naming. However, these speculations also say Intel might be moving forward with a totally different naming scheme for Core Ultra.
According to a previous news story published here on PVP Live, Intel’s next-gen Meteor Lake CPU is already in production and is set to launch sometime during the second half of this year. Keep following this website for more Intel news.
