https://www.hyundai.news/eu/article...ake-in-ai-semiconductor-firm-tenstorrent.html
Tenstorrent seems to have been backed by Samsung and Hyundai.. interesting. They were my two bets on the South Korean company Brainchip was referring to. They also have something to do with LG, so who’s left in South Korea lol
or maybe Brainchip and Tenstorrent is more connected then previously thought?
Or how about there is one or several South Korean players that have pretty much flown under our radar so far?
In fact, there is one giant conglomerate most of us have probably never even heard of before. I am talking about the SK Group, a giant chaebol (a large industrial South Korean conglomerate run and controlled by an individual or family), that has a number of subsidiaries that could be of particular interest to us:
en.m.wikipedia.org
“SK Group (
Korean: SK그룹, 에스케이그룹)
is the second largest South Korean chaebol behind Samsung Group. SK Group is composed of 186 subsidiaries and affiliates that share the SK brand name and the group's management culture, named SKMS (SK Management System). It changed its name from
Sunkyong Group (
Korean: 선경그룹,
Hanja: 鮮京그룹) to SK Group in 1998. The group is controlled by estate of
Chey Tae-won through a holding company,
SK Inc. The cornerstone of SK Group is its energy and chemicals division.
[2]
While its largest businesses are primarily involved in the energy, petroleum, and chemical industries, the group also owns the nation's largest wireless mobile phone service provider SK Telecom, and provides services in construction, marketing, local telephone, high-speed Internet, and wireless broadband (WiBro), and is also the owner of SK Hynix, the world's fourth largest chipmaker.
(…)
Subsidiaries
Holdings
- SK Inc. (KRX: 003600) is a holding company which resulted when SK Corporation was reorganized on July 1, 2007, into a holding company and operating company, SK Inc. and SK Energy, respectively. SK Inc. is a part of the SK Group that focuses on 4 core business interests, High-tech materials, Bio, Green and Digital. The SK Group is composed of 186 affiliate companies that share the SK brand and culture. In 2021, SK Group recorded combined revenues of $133 billion, with exports contributing $50 billion of that total. SK continues to expand its global presence, with more than 117,590 employees who work from 473 offices worldwide.
Energy & Chemicals
- SK Innovation (KRX: 096770) is a South Korean enterprise formed as part of the July 1, 2007 reorganization of SK Corporation into a holding company and operating company, SK Inc. and SK Energy, respectively. In 2011, the petroleum business was spun off to become SK Energy. Simultaneously the chemical business was spun off to become SK Innovation. SK Energy was founded in 1962 as Korea's first oil refinery. In 1982, changed company name to Yukong. SK Energy is an energy and petrochemical company with 5,000 employees, KRW 23.65 trillion in sales and 26 offices spanning the globe. The company is Korea's largest (and Asia's fourth largest) refiner with a refining capacity of 1.15 million barrels per day, as of 2006. SK Energy is engaged in exploration and development activities in 26 oil / gas blocks in 14 nations worldwide.[25][26][27]
- SKC (KRX: 011790), headquartered in Seoul, is the leading Korean company in chemical and film industry. SKC was founded and established in 1976 as previous name of Sunkyong Chemicals Ltd (Korean: 선경화학 (주)). SKC developed polyester films firstly in Korea, by its own efforts. With its main plant and R&D center located in Suwon, South Korea, it also operates large capacity of film plant in Covington, Georgia, United States.
Information & Communications TechnologyEdit
- SK Telecom (KRX: 017670)
- SK Square (KRX: 402340) is a portfolio management company.
- SK Inc. C&C was established in 1991 and is currently one of the "Big Three" IT services companies in Korea. SK C&C has business interests across IT services, including telecommunications, banking & finance, government, public, logistics, and other fields.
Semiconductor & MaterialsEdit
- SK Hynix (KRX: 000660) is the world's 3rd-largest semiconductor manufacturer and the 2nd-largest in South Korea after Samsung Electronics which is the leader in the global semiconductor industry. SK Hynix was founded in 1983 as "Hyundai Electronics", which is the origin of its name "Hynix", and merged to SK Group in 2012 when SK Telecom became the major shareholder. The major products are DRAM, flash memory, and many other semiconductor materials. While its headquarter is located at Icheon, Gyeonggido, it also runs a large production line at Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do.
- SK Siltron is the only semiconductor wafer manufacturer in Korea, and it has grown hand in hand with the semiconductor industry over the last 35 plus years. Armed with a record-long history of mass production and accumulated know-how, the company expands its production capacity in a preemptive manner and continues to strengthen its manufacturing and technology competitiveness. At the same time, the company is expanding its business portfolio to include emerging areas such as SiC wafers. This lays a strong foundation for SK Siltron to grow to become one of the world’s best semiconductor materials players both in production volume and profitability.
Logistics, Services & BioEdit
- SK Biopharmaceuticals (KRX: 326030) is a drug discovery and drug developmentcompany. It discovered solriamfetol.[28]
- SK pharmteco is a global contract development and manufacturing organization specializing in the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), intermediates and viral vectors for cell and gene therapy for the pharmaceutical industry. SK Pharmteco operates six facilities in Europe, North America and Korea.
- SK Ecoplant is a Korean construction company founded and established in 1977 with a previous name of Sunkyong Construction (Korean: 선경 건설), headquartered in Gwanhun-dong Jongno-gu, Seoul. Its brands include SK View, SK Hub, and Apelbaum. The company's CEO is Ki Haeng Cho. Industries: Oil & Gas, Petrochemical, Power, Environmental Protection, Industrial, Civil, Building, Housing. Services:Feasibility Study, EPC Service, Project Management, Operations & Maintenance.”
So even if Wikipedia can’t decide on whether SK Hynix is the world’s third or fourth-largest semiconductor manufacturer, I think you’ll get the picture!
As AI technology and services continue to rapidly develop, SK hynix’s AI semiconductors will also evolve to meet the market and consumer needs.
news.skhynix.com
We Do Future Technology] Become a Semiconductor Expert with SK hynix – AI Semiconductors
May 9, 2023
AI semiconductors are ultra-fast and low-power chips that efficiently process big data and algorithms that are applied to AI services. In the video above, the exhibition “Today’s Record” shows how humans have been recording information through a variety of ways including drawing and writing for thousands of years. Today, people record information in the form of data at an ever-increasing rate. As this large volume of data is used to create new data, we call this the era of big data.
It is now believed that the total amount of data created up until the early 2000s can be generated in a single day. As ICT and AI technology advances and takes on a bigger role in our lives, the amount of data will only continue to grow exponentially. This is because, in addition to data recording and processing, AI technologies learn from existing data and create large amounts of new data. To process this massive volume of data, memory chips and processors need to constantly operate and work together.
In the Von Neumann architecture1 that is commonly used for most modern computers, the processor and memory communicate through I/O2 pins that are mounted on a motherboard. This creates a bottleneck when transferring data and consumes about 1,000 times more power compared to standard computing operations. Therefore, the role of memory solutions in facilitating fast and efficient data transfer is crucial for the proper function of AI semiconductors and AI services.
1Von Neumann architecture: A computing structure that sequentially processes commands through three stages: memory, CPU, and I/O device.
2Input/Output (I/O): An information processing system designed to send and receive data from a computer hardware component, device, or network.
Ultimately, AI semiconductors need to combine the functions of a processor and memory while providing more enhanced qualities than the Von Neumann architecture. SAPEON Korea, an AI startup jointly founded by SK hynix, recently developed an AI semiconductor for data centers named after the company. The SAPEON AI processor offers a deep learning computation speed which is 1.5 times faster than that of conventional GPUs and uses 80% less power. In the future, SAPEON will be expanded to other areas like autonomous cars and mobile devices. SK hynix’s commitment to developing technologies to support AI is further highlighted by its establishment of the SK ICT Alliance alongside SK Telecom and SK Square. The alliance invests and develops in diverse ICT areas such as semiconductors and AI to secure global competitiveness. Furthermore, SK hynix is also developing a next-generation CIM3 with neuromorphic semiconductor4 devices.
3Computing-in-memory (CIM): The next generation of intelligent memory that combines the processor and semiconductor memory on a single chip.
4Neuromorphic semiconductor: A semiconductor for computing that can simultaneously compute and store like a human brain, reducing power consumption while increasing computational speed.
As AI technology and services continue to rapidly develop, SK hynix’s semiconductors for AI will also evolve to meet the market and consumer needs. The company’s chips will be the backbone for key AI services in the big data era and beyond.
SK Group units establish U.S. entity for global promotion of SAPEON AI chip
By Lim Chang-wonPosted : January 10, 2022, 18:09 Updated : January 10, 2022, 18:09
[Courtesy of SK Telecom]
SEOUL -- SK Telecom, a South Korean mobile carrier that has aggressively adopted new technologies, will establish a new U.S. entity for the global promotion of ts artificial intelligence semiconductor chip called "SAPEON" through cooperation with two other SK Group units. The lineup of AI chips will be expanded gradually for data centers and autonomous driving.
The new entity named SAPEON Inc. serves as an outpost for expanding its AI semiconductor business targeting U.S-based big tech companies as its main customers. It would be the first joint task to be carried out by a tripartite in-house business alliance involving SK Telecom (SKT), SK hynix, the second-largest memory chip producer in South Korea, and SK Square which has been spun off from SKT to focus on semiconductors and information and information and communications technology (ICT).
The alliance was launched on the sidelines of CES 2022 in Las Vegas to jointly invest in ICT convergence technology and promote global expansion. "The SK ICT alliance will work together to make a big leap and innovation in the global market," said SK hynix vice chairman Park Jung-ho.
The alliance aims to unveil new services that have not existed before by adding advanced connected intelligence to autonomous driving, robots and urban air mobility.
SKT has led a state project to develop next-generation AI chips and interfaces that can be utilized for high-performance servers like cloud data centers. The deep learning computation speed of SAPEON X220, unveiled in November 2020, is faster than that of graphics processing units widely used by AI-service companies. SKT aims to combine AI chips and 5G edge cloud. The application of an AI chip to a cloud located close to the end-users will enable the provision of high-quality AI services with ultra-low latency regardless of customer devices.
SK Square would expand its investment in next platforms such as metaverse and blockchain, while SKT is to release an AI secretary service, link it with a metaverse platform, and introduce AI-VERSE, an integrated service that can even allow users to engage in economic activities.
"The AI secretary service is a concept in which avatars of each smartphone customer acts as a secretary or friend," SKT CEO Ryu Young-sang said in a statement on January 10. "This will lead to a future in which customers live in both reality and virtual worlds at the same time."
In July 2021, SKT launched a tolerant metaverse platform called "Ifland" that would maximize user experience through diverse virtual spaces and avatars. SKT would nurture Ifland into a leading metaverse platform by enhancing user convenience. The company plans to boost the popularization of Ifland by running special programs and providing content that meets the needs of users.
Four months later, SK Square invested 90 billion won ($75 million) to become the second-largest shareholder of Korbit, which is South Korea's first cryptocurrency exchange platform that operates a metaverse virtual asset exchange platform called "Korbit Town" and a trading market for non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which are a unique and non-interchangeable unit of data stored on a digital ledger and can be bought and sold digitally.
The investment in Korbit was made to operate an economic system within SKT's metaverse platform, Ryu said. "We will overcome our shortcomings as soon as possible by adding games, entertainment, and an economic system."
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
Sapeon designs artificial intelligence semiconductors for data centers, for example those run by cloud computing firms.
www.cnbc.com
South Korean startup rival to Nvidia seeks $400 million valuation and plans new A.I. chip
PUBLISHED TUE, FEB 28 202310:21 PM ESTUPDATED THU, MAR 2 20236:34 AM EST
Arjun Kharpal@ARJUNKHARPAL
WATCH LIVE
KEY POINTS
- Sapeon, a South Korean artificial intelligence chip start-up headquartered in California, is raising a funding round that puts its valuation above $400 million, its CEO told CNBC.
- Sapeon designs artificial intelligence semiconductors for data centers, for example those run by cloud computing firms.
- Currently, U.S. firm Nvidia dominates this market. But a number of established players such as AMD and start-ups like Sapeon, are looking to challenge Nvidia.
Sapeon was spun off from South Korea’s SK Telecom in 2022 and is raising outside investment. The company is looking to take on Nvidia in the area of artifical intelligence chips.
SeongJoon Cho | Bloomberg | Getty Images
BARCELONA, Spain — Sapeon, a South Korean artificial intelligence chip startup headquartered in California, is raising a funding round that puts its valuation above $400 million, its CEO told CNBC.
The startup is backed by massive South Korean firms SK Telecom, memory-chip maker SK Hynix and SK Square, an investment company spun off of SK Telecom.
Sapeon designs artificial intelligence semiconductors for data centers, for example those run by cloud computing firms. These AI chips are required for AI applications that require huge amounts of data processing.
Currently, U.S. firm
Nvidia dominates this market. But a number of established players such as
AMD and startups like Sapeon, are looking to challenge Nvidia.
“AI solutions will grow a lot thanks to the evolution of AI services like ChatGPT,” Soojung Ryu, CEO of Sapeon, told CNBC in an interview at the Mobile World Congress that aired Wednesday.
ChatGPT is the viral chatbot developed by OpenAI. It has caused a stir in the tech world, with giants from Google to Chinese firm Baidu scrambling to release their own rivals. Technology executives say ChatGPT has put AI applications on the map.
Analysts at Bernstein expect ChatGPT to be a multi-billion dollar boon for chipmakers looking to fuel these AI models.
“We would like build this kind of system (AI chips) to have an opportunity for the business,” Ryu said.
Sapeon was created in 2016 inside SK Telecom, one of South Korea’s biggest telecommunications firms. SK Telecom then spun out the firm last year and raised outside investment.
Ryu said the company is currently raising money at a valuation of $400 million.
South Korean semiconductor firms including Samsung and SK Hynix have typically been strong in memory chips that go into devices like PCs. Sapeon is among one of the first firms out of South Korea to try and crack the AI chip market.
Ryu said that Sapeon is targeting the U.S. market which would pit it against Nvidia. When asked if Sapeon can challenge Nvidia, Ryu answered “yes.”
Currently, Sapeon has one chip on the market called the X220. It is built on so-called 28-nanometer technology. The nanometer figure refers to the size of each individual transistor on a chip. The smaller the transistor, the more of them can be packed onto a single semiconductor. Typically, a reduction in nanometer size can yield more powerful and efficient chips.
Ryu said the company will launch a 7-nanometer AI chip this year and it will be manufactured by TSMC, the world’s biggest contract chipmaker. That would bring it closer to the current technology on the market.
www.sktelecom.com
SKT Invests USD 100 Million in Joby Aviation
2023.06.29Print
SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM, “SKT”), Korea’s leading mobile operator rapidly expanding its presence as an AI company, and Joby Aviation, a California-based company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, today announced that SKT has invested USD 100 million to acquire approximately 2 percent stake in Joby Aviation.
SKT and Joby Aviation have been working together since they signed a strategic collaboration agreement in February 2022. With the equity investment, the two companies will further solidify and expand their cooperation in the UAM business, and SKT will be better positioned to take a leading role in the UAM business in Korea.
Joby Aviation has unrivaled technological capabilities in the development of eVTOL aircraft for Urban Air Mobility (UAM). A full-size prototype of the Joby aircraft holds the record of flying 241 km at a speed of 330 km/h, which is the fastest flight of any eVTOL aircraft to date. Also, Joby was the first eVTOL company to sign a G-1 (stage 4) certification basis with the FAA.
It is also collaborating with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and has signed a contract with the United States Air Force to deliver and operate its aircraft.
The investment paves the way for Joby to participate alongside SKT in Korea’s “K-UAM Grand Challenge,” a phased demonstration program, led by the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, to foster the adoption of aerial ridesharing in Korea.
Today’s investment is also expected to lead to the development of further partnerships across the mobility ecosystem in Korea, led by SKT.
Moreover, the two companies agreed to explore the idea of extending their collaboration more widely into the overseas markets in the long term.
As a company rapidly shaping into an AI company, SKT is actively promoting UAM, which can be realized through the application of cutting-edge ICT technologies including AI. AI technologies are expected to be utilized in various parts of the UAM business, including aerial network communications and traffic control, and SKT plans to draw upon its rich pool of AI technologies to popularize UAM services and boost the ecosystem.
SKT also unveiled its vision of expanding its role from a mobile operator to a mobility operator that opens new frontiers in mobility.
At present, UAM is being highlighted as a new mobility service that can solve traffic congestion and carbon emissions, and many countries around the world, including the US, UK, France and Japan, are working actively to launch the service. In Korea, led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the first phase of the K-UAM Grand Challenge will be implemented in Goheung, Jeollanam-do from August 2023 to December 2024 and the second phase will take place in the Seoul Metropolitan Area from July 2024 to June 2025, followed by commercialization of UAM in 2025.
“Based on cooperation with Joby Aviation, we will do our utmost to promote the UAM demonstration program and achieve UAM commercialization in Korea,” said Ryu Young-sang, CEO of SKT. “We will greatly reduce customers’ travel time with our UAM service and rapidly advance our UAM technologies to help turn Korea into a mobility powerhouse.”
“Our partnership with SKT places Joby in the best possible position to capitalize on the opportunity presented by the Korean market, where we continue to see a strong drive from the government to realize aerial ridesharing in Korea,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. “We’re grateful for SKT’s commitment to Joby and look forward to working with them as we develop a transformational air taxi service for Korea.”
*Attachment. SKT’s UAM Business Progress & Roadmap
Other subsidiaries could also benefit from neuromorphic computing, eg for predictive maintenance or drug discovery.
So, I’d definitely keep an eye on the SK Group…
www.eenewseurope.com
