Next-generation AI could be powered by Aussie chips
The next big leap in artificial intelligence could get a boost from Australian-made technology after a Sydney start-up secured federal funding to move closer to launch.
The company, which aims to produce advanced computer chips in 2027, says that they can overcome the important bottlenecks that prevent the progress of artificial intelligence.
Syenta announced a $10.1 million investment from the National Reconstruction Fund on Wednesday as part of a $36 million ($26 million) fundraising for the company, which was born out of the Australian National University.
The news comes after the federal government released a National Artificial Intelligence Plan focused on increasing domestic capacity in technology, and AI was named a national priority at an economic reform roundtable.
The Australian company plans to produce computer chips designed to support next-generation artificial intelligence technology, as well as quantum computing and robotics.
The semiconductors designed by the company will use a special system to connect smaller, special chips called chiplets together with thin wires to improve performance.
Chips using advanced semiconductor packaging are produced only in Taiwan, causing long delays, but the firm’s system can make them more efficient, Syenta CEO Jekaterina Viktorova said.
“This is different from anything on the market today and we can produce these wires much faster than the industry is used to, reducing 40 per cent of the steps typically used by large foundries,” Dr Viktorova told AAP.
The $10.1 million investment will be used to purchase specialized machinery and support early production facilities, with the goal of producing products in early 2027 and testing high-volume production in 2028.
“This is an Australian innovation but we are working with world-class chip designers around the world who are excited to have us on their pilots,” he said.
National Reconstruction Fund chief information officer Mary Manning said the company also plans to add another 25 employees to its local workforce, which will be vital to building an AI industry in Australia.
“This is innovative, important to Australia’s sovereign capacity and fits very well into other parts of (the fund’s) mandate where we will need semiconductor expertise and semiconductor capacity in Australia,” Dr Manning told AAP.
“It’s also important to create jobs for people with these skills so (they) don’t go overseas.”
According to research by McKinsey & Company, the global semiconductor industry was valued at US$775 billion in 2024, but could rise to US$1.6 trillion by 2030 due to demand for AI applications and data centers.
