[News] Samsung Bets on Local Chip Firm Rebellions and Israeli Startup Teramount to Ride the AI Wave

Riding the AI boom, Samsung has recently invested in two promising startups: Israeli optical tech firm Teramount and South Korea’s AI chip maker Rebellions, according to CNBC, Maeil Business Newspaper and Pulse.

Rebellions: A Win-Win Bet for Samsung

As noted by CNBC, Rebellions has secured backing from Samsung as part of an ongoing funding round targeting $150 million to $200 million, according to CFO Sungkyue Shin. While Samsung’s exact investment wasn’t disclosed, it marks a strategic move amid Rebellions’ push toward a future IPO, the report suggests.

Rebellions is positioning itself as a homegrown rival to NVIDIA, aiming to lead in AI chip development. Focused on AI inferencing, the startup has attracted major backers including SK hynix, Korea Telecom, and Saudi oil giant Aramco, according to CNBC.

Notably, the report suggests that Samsung is manufacturing Rebellions’ semiconductors using its 4nm—matching the node behind NVIDIA’s Blackwell chips made by TSMC. On the other hand, Rebellions is still weighing options for its HBM supplier, the report adds.

This partnership, according to CNBC, could be a strategic win for Samsung. If the AI chip firm secures a broad customer base, it could become a key client for Samsung’s foundry business.

Teramount Fuels Samsung’s Chip Vision

Meanwhile, in late July, Samsung, through its venture capital arm Samsung Catalyst Fund, has made a strategic investment in Teramount as part of a $50 million Series A round, as per Maeil Business Newspaper and Pulse. While the exact amount wasn’t disclosed, Samsung is believed to have taken a minority stake estimated at several million dollars to around $10 million, as noted by the reports.

Other major backers of the company reportedly include AMD Ventures, Hitachi Ventures, and Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Wistron.

According to Maeil Business Newspaper, Teramount has developed “TeraVerse,” an optical chip interconnect platform using tiny components called Photonic Plug and Photonic Bump. The technology integrates with existing semiconductor processes to deliver faster data transmission while reducing power use and heat compared to traditional electrical packaging, the report explains.

This light-based solution, as per the reports, is drawing attention for high-speed, high-bandwidth applications like AI chips, HBM, GPUs, and next-gen servers. Thus, Samsung’s investment is seen as a step toward adopting the technology in its advanced packaging lines and offering optical interconnect solutions to foundry clients, the reports add.

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(Photo credit: Samsung)