Meta Platforms is set to acquire Rivos, a Santa Clara-based chip startup that specializes in the RISC-V architecture, Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with the matter. The move is aimed at strengthening Meta’s in-house semiconductor capabilities and reducing dependence on external suppliers for Artificial Intelligence infrastructure. It follows earlier reporting that Meta had begun testing its first in-house Artificial Intelligence chip this year.
Rivos develops processors using the open-source RISC-V instruction set, positioning itself as an alternative to proprietary designs from Arm, Intel, and AMD. The startup is backed by Intel board member and longtime investor Lip-Bu Tan. Financial terms were not disclosed. Reuters, citing a second source, reported that Meta has been one of Rivos’ largest customers and had held ongoing discussions about a potential acquisition. The deal aligns with Meta’s strategy to contain the rising costs of training and running advanced Artificial Intelligence models by increasing investment in custom silicon, while continuing to procure Nvidia GPUs for many of its Artificial Intelligence workloads.
The acquisition comes amid a broader infrastructure build-out by Meta to support its Artificial Intelligence ambitions. Earlier this year, Reuters reported that Meta had started testing its own Artificial Intelligence training chips. In parallel, the company remains one of the largest buyers of Nvidia GPUs, which power a significant portion of its Artificial Intelligence workloads, underscoring a hybrid approach that combines internal chip development with continued reliance on established suppliers.
Rivos was reportedly seeking funding at a valuation above an unspecified amount as recently as August, according to The Information. Last month, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company expects to spend at least a significant sum on U.S. data centers and related infrastructure by 2028, an estimate reported by The Information that was shared during a dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump and technology executives. That outlook aligns with Meta’s previous guidance indicating that 2025 capital expenditures would be nearly 70 percent higher than in 2024, with similarly significant spending growth anticipated in 2026 as the company scales computing power for Artificial Intelligence.
