Core Viewpoint - FuriosaAI, a Seoul-based chip startup, is preparing for a potential IPO pre-funding round exceeding $300 million, aiming to challenge Nvidia's market position [1]. Group 1: Funding and IPO Plans - The company has selected several international investment banks to submit proposals for its D round financing, which may start as early as January. The funds will primarily be used for developing the company's third-generation AI chips, and this round could serve as a Pre-IPO round ahead of a potential listing in 2027 [2]. - Earlier this year, FuriosaAI successfully raised $125 million, surpassing its funding target of approximately $80 million. The company also rejected an $800 million acquisition offer from Meta Platforms [3]. Group 2: Company Background and Technology - FuriosaAI was co-founded in 2017 by June Paik, who previously worked at Samsung Electronics and AMD, focusing on the development of AI inference chips and related services [4]. - The company's AI chip, RNGD (pronounced "renegade"), boasts a reasoning performance per watt that is 2.25 times higher than that of graphics processors manufactured by companies like Nvidia [5].