RISC-V is currently one of the most compelling developments in the technology sector. This nonprofit organization, along with its growing community, is creating an open-source and standardized instruction set architecture (ISA). This allows chip designers to create custom chips without the typical licensing restrictions and patent concerns associated with other systems, like those from Arm.

Developing an ISA and the necessary tools is a complex and costly undertaking—a key reason why the open-source movement has had limited impact in the hardware industry, despite its prevalence in software. The RISC-V community has dedicated considerable time to refining and gaining acceptance for its vision of the future of computing. Throughout this process, it has garnered significant support from a diverse range of organizations, including Google, Oculus, Huawei, IBM, Nvidia (currently in the process of acquiring Arm), Qualcomm, and others.

The RISC-V ecosystem is now reaching a stage of maturity and is preparing for broader implementation beyond research labs and testing environments.

SiFive is a leading company driving the commercial application of RISC-V technology. Founded by many of the original inventors and prominent researchers of the technology—initially developed at Berkeley—the company has also attracted talent like Chris Lattner, the architect of the Swift programming language, now the preferred choice for developers within the Apple ecosystem. To date, SiFive has secured $190 million in funding, including a recent $61 million Series E round, with notable investment from Sutter Hill, which previously saw substantial returns from Snowflake Computing.

At the Linley Conference, a key event for processor announcements, SiFive unveiled its PC-focused RISC-V board, named “Unmatched.” This product aims to simplify the process for developers to acquire PCs or establish server farms, enabling them to test their code on the RISC-V architecture. This should make entering the RISC-V world more accessible to a wider range of engineers.

This launch is part of a revised market strategy being implemented by SiFive’s new CEO, Patrick Little. Little joined the company last month from Qualcomm, where he oversaw the company’s expansion into automotive technologies, bringing with him decades of industry experience. His primary goal is to distribute the technology SiFive has developed to as many users as possible.

“Our focus is on promoting adoption and expanding the platform, so software development can occur on a large scale,” Little explained. He emphasized that developers have consistently requested a standard PC board format. “They needed a plug-and-play experience on a familiar PC platform,” he added.

The HiFive Unmatched PC board features the SiFive FU740 SoC, incorporating a five-core processor built on SiFive’s 7-series core, which the company claims is the fastest commercially available core utilizing RISC-V technology today. The board utilizes the mini-ITX form factor.

Alongside the PC board, the company also announced the launch of its SiFive Intelligence VIU7 Series at the Linley Conference last week. This is a vector processor designed for AI and graphics applications, built around the RISC-V Vector Extension (RVV) standard ISA.

These announcements are establishing a foundation for further product development addressing key computing needs across the industry.

A significant catalyst for the company is Nvidia’s intention to acquire Arm. This news has prompted chip manufacturers to consider a future where this acquisition controls a substantial portion of the AI, graphics, and mobile processing markets. Consequently, more companies are seeking alternatives, and RISC-V is currently one of the few viable options available.

An open-source ISA provides “the assurance that a company can design using that platform for years, or even decades, without the risk of it becoming unavailable,” Little stated. “It has evolved from an operational goal to a strategic necessity.”

Little has ambitious plans for SiFive, asserting that “taking a leadership position is a natural choice for us, given the exceptional opportunities currently available. Our focus is on aligning our resources with the most promising prospects.” With favorable market trends and open-source hardware becoming increasingly realistic, SiFive is well-positioned to capitalize on what could be a major transformation in the processing landscape.