前英特尔CEO加入AI芯片创企！

Core Insights - Snowcap Compute, a new player in the AI chip market, has raised $23 million in seed funding led by Playground Global, with former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger joining its board [2][8] - The company aims to develop a commercially viable superconducting AI computing chip that significantly outperforms current systems while consuming minimal power [2][12] - Snowcap plans to launch its first foundational chip by the end of 2026, with a complete system to follow later [2] Company Overview - Snowcap's CEO, Michael Lafferty, has a background in superconducting and quantum technologies, having previously led a team at Cadence [3] - The founding team includes experts from leading tech companies, such as former NVIDIA, Google, and Tesla executives, enhancing its credibility and expertise [5][8] Technology and Innovation - Snowcap's chip architecture is designed for extreme performance and energy efficiency, targeting AI, quantum, and high-performance computing workloads [2][12] - The company utilizes Josephson junctions instead of traditional transistors, achieving a power efficiency that is five orders of magnitude lower than current chips [12][13] - The superconducting technology allows for zero electrical resistance, drastically reducing energy consumption during operations [13][14] Market Position and Future Outlook - Snowcap is positioned to address the limitations of current CMOS technology, paving the way for a post-CMOS era in computing [13] - The company aims to tackle the energy consumption challenges faced by AI computing, which has become critical due to the increasing demand for computational power [15] - By overcoming engineering challenges related to scalability and compatibility with existing semiconductor processes, Snowcap is injecting fresh innovation into the AI chip industry [15]