1 The EIC Accelerator Project

The EIC Accelerator program, operated by the European Innovation Council (EIC), serves as a pivotal funding mechanism aimed at supporting innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups throughout Europe. This program is particularly focused on high-risk, high-potential ventures that are developing cutting-edge technologies, often referred to as DeepTech. The EIC Accelerator combines grant funding and equity investment to help these companies navigate the complex landscape of product development and market entry.

Funding Structure

The EIC Accelerator offers a blended finance model that encompasses two main types of funding: grants and equity investments.

Purpose of the EIC Accelerator

The EIC Accelerator plays a crucial role in bolstering the European DeepTech and startup ecosystem. By providing substantial financial backing, it aims to stimulate innovation, drive economic growth, and enhance global competitiveness. The program specifically targets companies engaged in advanced technological fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and biotechnology, thereby aligning with Europe’s strategic objectives for technological leadership.

Facilitating Growth and Funding

One of the core objectives of the EIC Accelerator is to help companies scale effectively and attract additional private sector funding. By offering a combination of grants and equity, the EIC reduces the risks associated with early-stage investments, making it more attractive for other investors to engage. This dual funding approach not only provides immediate financial relief but also instills confidence in potential investors, paving the way for further capital inflow.

EIC Accelerator Winner: VSORA

VSORA, a French startup, emerged as a notable winner of the EIC Accelerator in June 2023. The company’s project, dubbed SUPERCHIP, stands for Scalable Unified Processor Enhancing Revolutionary Computing, Harnessing Integrated Performance for Edge AI, Autonomous Driving, Generative AI, and Decentralized AIoT Applications. This project epitomizes VSORA's commitment to advancing computing technology.

Overview of SUPERCHIP Project

The SUPERCHIP project aims to develop a novel processing architecture that integrates multiple functionalities into a single chip, thereby enhancing performance and efficiency. This architecture is particularly suited for applications in edge computing, where low latency and high data processing capabilities are critical. The SUPERCHIP is designed to support a variety of advanced applications, including:

• Edge AI: Processing data at the edge of networks reduces the need for extensive data transmission to centralized servers, enhancing response times and bandwidth efficiency.
• Autonomous Driving: The chip's high-performance capabilities are essential for real-time data processing required in autonomous vehicles, enabling better decision-making.
• Generative AI: The architecture supports complex algorithms that generate content, making it suitable for applications in creative industries.
• Decentralized AIoT: The chip facilitates decentralized Internet of Things (IoT) frameworks, allowing for more autonomous operations across connected devices.

Technological Foundations

The technology behind SUPERCHIP is rooted in advanced semiconductor design and integrated circuit engineering. By leveraging innovative manufacturing techniques, such as 3D stacking and heterogeneous integration, VSORA aims to create a chip that not only meets performance benchmarks but also addresses the energy consumption challenges faced by conventional processors.

The architecture will utilize advanced machine learning algorithms to optimize processing capabilities dynamically, making it adaptable to various application demands. This flexibility is particularly crucial in fields such as autonomous driving, where the computational needs can vary significantly based on environmental conditions and operational scenarios.

Conclusion

The EIC Accelerator program represents a vital support mechanism for innovative companies like VSORA, enabling them to scale their technologies and compete on a global scale. The SUPERCHIP project illustrates the potential of advanced processing architectures to revolutionize multiple sectors, thereby underscoring the importance of targeted funding in fostering technological advancements within the European ecosystem. Through initiatives like the EIC Accelerator, Europe aims to maintain its position at the forefront of technological innovation.

2 The Funding Rounds

VSORA: Financing, Funding Rounds, Investors, and Valuation Since EIC Accelerator Funding (June 2023 Onwards)

VSORA, a deep-tech company based in France specializing in high-performance AI inference chips, has seen significant financing activity following its success in the EIC Accelerator program by submitting its Step 2 proposal on June 21, 2023.

Financing Raised

• Total Funding to Date: Estimates vary slightly depending on sources and whether all rounds are counted; reports indicate that VSORA has raised between $65.23 million and $66 million across multiple funding rounds since inception.
• Recent Major Round: In April 2025, VSORA announced a substantial fundraising round of $46 million.

Funding Rounds: Timing and Amounts

Date	Round	Amount	Lead/Key Investors
April 29, 2025	Series C	$45.53M–$46M	Otium (lead), French family office; with Omnes Capital, Adélie Capital & co-financing from EIC Fund
October 30, 2023	Incubator/Accelerator (EIC)	$13.8M	European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund
January 11, 2023	Series B	Not specified	Not specified
January 17, 2018	Series A	Not specified	Not specified

<em class="publication">Amounts for earlier rounds were not disclosed in the available data but total prior funding is estimated at around $19.7M before the latest round.

Investor Information

The most recent (April 2025) funding round was led by:

• Otium – Principal investor
• French Family Office
• Additional participation from:
• Omnes Capital
• Adélie Capital
• Co-financing from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund

Earlier investors include Otium Capital and Partech Partners among others.

Valuation Data

VSORA's enterprise value shows some variance across data platforms:

• Estimated between $160–240 million according to Dealroom as of early/mid-2025
• Older listings place it lower ($17–25 million), indicating rapid valuation growth post-funding rounds and technological advances

No public information is available regarding a formal company valuation set during recent funding events.

Use of Funds & Strategic Direction

Funds raised are targeted at finalizing production of VSORA’s flagship AI chip “Jotunn8” (“J8”), set for silicon production within the year following their major raise in April 2025. The chip is designed for generative AI workloads—including applications like ChatGPT—in data centers as well as automotive autonomy and edge robotics.

Strategic partnerships have reportedly been established with global semiconductor leaders to ensure access to advanced manufacturing technologies and enable scaling toward industrialization.

Exit Events: IPOs or Acquisitions

As of May 2025:

• There are no reports or announcements regarding an IPO or acquisition.
• The company continues independently with strong investor backing focused on market expansion rather than near-term exit events.

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Sources

• VSORA Raises $46 Million to Bring World's Most Powerful AI Inference Chip to Market
• Dealroom.co—VSORA Company Information
• CB Insights—VSORA Financials
• FinSMEs—VSORA Raises $46M in Funding
• Design & Reuse News—VSORA Raises $46 Million

3 The Press Releases

VSORA’s Post-EIC Accelerator Funding Developments Paris-based VSORA, a 2023 EIC Accelerator winner, has emerged as a key player in AI and hardware acceleration technologies following its €12 million+ grant and equity award. The company secured funding under the June 2023 cut-off for its “Superchip” project, focusing on scalable processors for AI inference, autonomous driving, and edge computing.

Key Developments

• Jotunn™ Chiplet Architecture: Unveiled in 2023, this solution delivers up to 3.2 petaflops of processing power for generative AI (e.g., GPT-4) with >50% computational efficiency—far surpassing industry standards (2–4%). Its low-power design targets data centers and edge devices.
• Tyr™ Companion Chips: Designed for autonomous vehicles (L3–L5), these chips achieve 400–1,600 trillion operations per second at just 10W power consumption using the proprietary AD1028 architecture.
• $46 Million Funding Round (April 2025): Led by Otium and co-financed by the EIC Fund, this round accelerates production of the Jotunn8 (J8) chip. Partnerships with semiconductor leaders aim to deliver silicon prototypes by 2025.

Strategic Partnerships & Awards

• France 2030 SHAPE AI Project: Collaborating with CEA-Grenoble and Valeo on edge-AI processors for automotive applications.
• Leadership Expansion: Appointed David Dorval as VP of Operations in May 2024 to streamline production scaling.

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Sources

4 The Technology Advancements

VSORA: Current Capabilities and Advancements

VSORA, a French innovator in the field of ultra-high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) inference chips, has made significant advancements since receiving funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Program in mid-2023. This funding was part of a broader initiative to support innovative technologies, including hardware acceleration solutions for AI inference and advanced signal processing.

Current Capabilities

VSORA is currently focused on producing the world's most efficient AI chips, engineered for speed, efficiency, and scalability. Their platform ensures AI models deliver maximum impact at lower operational costs. The company's technology is designed to overcome the limitations of traditional GPU-based systems, providing a cost-effective, high-performance solution for AI inference deployment.

Advancements Since EIC Funding

Since receiving the EIC funding, VSORA has continued to advance its technology. One notable development is the announcement of its Jotunn family of chips, designed to address generative AI processing challenges. The Jotunn architecture is an all-in-one single-chip solution that aims to trounce the memory wall and accelerate generative AI implementations, such as those used in ChatGPT.

In April 2025, VSORA secured an additional $46 million in funding, which will support the production stage of its Jotunn8 (J8) chip, targeted for silicon in 2025. This investment underscores the company's growth and potential to reshape the future of AI computation, particularly in markets dominated by global giants like NVIDIA.

Technology Demonstrations and Market Presence

While specific details about customer deployments or pilot projects are not widely publicized, VSORA has forged partnerships with global semiconductor industry leaders to ensure access to cutting-edge technologies and production capabilities. This strategic collaboration paves the way for VSORA to emerge as a key global European player in AI chip innovation.

Patents, Studies, and Publications

As of the latest available information, there are no new patents, scientific studies, or whitepapers specifically highlighted since the EIC funding. However, VSORA's continued innovation in AI chip design and its commitment to technological advancements in the field of AI inference are significant indicators of its growing presence and influence in the market.

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Sources: - VSORA Raises $46 Million to Bring World's Most Powerful AI Inference Chip to Market

• VSORA – The world's most efficient AI chips
• VSORA raises $46M to bring powerful AI inference chip to market
• VSORA Raises $46 Million to Produce its Jotunn8 AI Chip in 2025
• VSORA raises $46m to bring AI inference chip to market
• VSORA Announces All-in-One Single Chip Architecture to Meet Generative AI Processing Challenges
• VSORA to Receive $13.18 Million in Funding from the European Innovation Council Accelerator Program
• European AI processor developer gets €40m for manufacturing
• VSORA Raises $46 Million to Bring World's Most Powerful AI Inference Chip to Market

5 The Partnerships and Customers

VSORA's Strategic Partnerships and Market Positioning Post-EIC Accelerator Funding Since securing €12 million ($13.18 million) from the EIC Accelerator in November 2023 and an additional $46 million in April 2025, VSORA has advanced its partnerships, technological roadmap, and market presence significantly. Below is a detailed analysis of their collaborations and strategic direction:

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Key Partnerships

• Purpose: Joint winners of France 2030’s Embedded AI Call for SHAPE AI (Scalable & High-Performance Accelerator Processor at Edge for AI). Focused on developing edge AI accelerators for autonomous systems and advanced robotics.
• Impact: Strengthens VSORA’s foothold in automotive AI, particularly for Level 2+ to Level 5 autonomous driving solutions.

While specific names remain undisclosed, VSORA has established partnerships with "global semiconductor industry leaders" to leverage cutting-edge fabrication technologies like TSMC’s 5nm process for its Jotunn8 (J8) chip production.

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New Investors (2025)

• Lead Investors: Otium Capital and an unnamed French family office.
• Additional Participants: Omnes Capital, Adélie Capital, and co-financing from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund.

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Customer Segments & Applications

VSORA targets high-growth markets requiring real-time AI inference:

• Generative AI: Optimized for data centers deploying ChatGPT-like models.
• Autonomous Driving: Supports Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) ecosystems with its Tyr™ family of chips offering up to 2 PetaFlops at <10W power consumption.
• Edge Computing & Robotics: Enables low-latency processing for industrial automation and IoT devices.

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Market Positioning via Strategic Relationships

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Scaling Impact of New Relationships

The $46M funding enables industrialization of Jotunn8 chips via established fab partnerships ensuring volume production capabilities by late 2025. Combined with EIC backing this positions VSORA as a key enabler of Europe’s “AI sovereignty” goals reducing reliance on non-EU suppliers.

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Sources:

• VSORA And Partners CEA-Grenoble And Valeo Named Winners Of France 2030 Embedded AI Call GlobeNewswire coverage
• VSORA Raises $46 Million Series Funding, Press Release
• European Processor Developer Secures €40M Manufacturing Funding

… (truncated due to space; full list includes all referenced URLs)*

6 The Hiring and Company Growth

VSORA’s Team Growth and Strategic Hiring Following EIC Accelerator Funding Paris-based AI chip innovator VSORA, recipient of a $13.18 million EIC Accelerator grant in November 2023, has not publicly disclosed its current headcount or specific hiring figures. However, recent developments indicate strategic team expansion and leadership appointments to support its ambitious roadmap:

• Key Leadership Appointments: In May 2024, David Dorval was named Vice President of Operations and Test, signaling a focus on scaling production capabilities ahead of the Jotunn8 (J8) AI chip’s planned 2025 launch.
• Project-Driven Collaborations: As part of France’s SHAPE AI initiative (awarded May 2024), VSORA is collaborating with CEA-Grenoble and Valeo to develop edge AI processors, necessitating specialized engineering roles.
• Growth Trajectory: The $46 million funding round closed in April 2025 will accelerate industrialization efforts, implying increased hiring across R&D, production, and partnerships. While exact growth metrics are unavailable since the EIC award in late 2023, the company’s expanded funding pool suggests significant team scaling to meet chip production targets.

Strategic Impact of New Hires
Recent hires like Dorval likely aim to streamline manufacturing operations for the Jotunn8 chip series—which promises up to 3.2 petaflops at <50% power consumption versus competitors—and cement partnerships with semiconductor industry leaders. The company emphasizes building a “European technological sovereignty” in AI hardware, requiring talent adept at high-performance computing and cross-border collaboration.

No major changes to the founding team have been reported; CEO Khaled Maalej continues leading operations after raising capital from Otium Capital and Omnes Capital-backed rounds.

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Sources

• VSORA Raises $46 Million to Bring World's Most Powerful AI Inference Chip
• VSORA News
• EE Times Europe Report on Vsora's €40M Raise
• VSORA Website
• Semiconductor Engineering Coverage
• GlobeNewswire Archive for VSORA Inc Releases

7 The Media Features and Publications

VSORA: A French Innovator in AI Hardware Acceleration

VSORA, a French company, has been making significant strides in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) hardware acceleration since receiving funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator in June 2023. The company specializes in developing unparalleled hardware acceleration solutions, particularly for AI inference, advanced signal processing, and complex algorithmic designs.

Media Features and Publications

VSORA has been featured in several publications for its innovative approach to AI processing. Notably, it received $13.18 million from the EIC Accelerator Program, which was widely reported in the press. Additionally, VSORA raised $46 million in a new fundraising round to further develop its AI inference chips, marking a significant step towards establishing itself as a leader in AI chip innovation.

Content from Publications

Publications have highlighted VSORA's unique scalable and unified processor architecture, designed to enhance the performance and user experience of computing applications such as generative AI and autonomous driving. The company's Jotunn chip solution provides up to 3.2 petaflops with significantly reduced power consumption compared to existing solutions, offering a compute efficiency of over 50% for certain AI models.

Podcasts and Interviews

There is no publicly available information on podcasts or interviews specifically featuring the VSORA team since the EIC Accelerator funding.

Conference and Fair Visits

VSORA's involvement in conferences and fairs is not widely documented in publicly available sources. However, given its focus on AI hardware acceleration, it is likely that the company participates in relevant tech industry events to showcase its innovations.

Involvement in Events

VSORA was named a winner of France 2030’s Embedded AI Call for Projects, alongside partners CEA-Grenoble and Valeo, for their work on the SHAPE AI (Scalable & High-Performance Accelerator Processor at Edge for AI) project. This demonstrates the company's active participation in significant AI-related initiatives.

Sources

• EIC Accelerator: strong performance of engineering and tech-based companies in the latest €350 million funding round
• EIC Accelerator winners and statistics June 2023: 47 European deeptech startups awarded 349€ million
• VSORA to Receive $13.18 Million in Funding from the European Innovation Council Accelerator Program
• VSORA Raises $46 Million to Bring World's Most Powerful AI Inference Chip to Market
• VSORA Inc - Press Release Distribution and Management