Palo Alto – Nov 4, 2024 – I attend a lot of conferences. Most are in semiconductors, optics, energy, and networking. They promote technically deep products and often go very geek. Most follow a similar format and agenda: Keynotes and focused technical presentations that are primarily one-way communications with limited interaction on the exhibit floors.

The RISC-V Summit 2024 in late October was fundamentally different. It was about a movement that brought out the best forms of collaboration that made Silicon Valley successful in the first place:

• A larger number of shorter working group sessions
• Highly animated crowds of competitors and attendees huddling on the exhibit floor
• Short-form presentations that provided smaller players a place in the sun

The RISC-V Summit was a vibrant and collaborative event. It was a rare sight, reminiscent of the launch of Java at Sun Microsystems in 1995, the energy of SXSW, the early days of Linux, and even competitors from Fairchild, National, and Signetics drinking beer and solving semiconductor problems at The Wagon Wheel in Mountain View in the sixties. The conference was alive with the shared vision of open-source hardware and the collective effort to propel the RISC-V ecosystem forward.

Beyond the product announcements and industry analysis, the RISC-V Summit North America 2024 served as a vital platform for collaboration and community building. Keynote presentations and panel discussions featuring industry leaders and experts provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with RISC-V adoption. It emphasized open collaboration, standardization, and software development.

The RISC-V Summit was not just another conference. On the contrary, it was a significant event that underscored a major trend in the tech industry: the rise of open-source hardware and the associated collaboration among competitors. This trend is not a passing fad but a movement with strong momentum. The message is clear: ARM Holdings, take note.

Overview of the Conference
The RISC-V Summit North America 2024, held in Santa Clara, California, from October 22-23, 2024, brought together the global RISC-V community to share technology breakthroughs, industry milestones, and case studies. This event showcased the latest innovations in open computing and provided a platform for networking and collaboration among industry leaders, developers, and innovators. The summit saw a strong turnout, with over 560 members from the RISC-V community in attendance. This included technical, industry, domain, ecosystem, and special interest groups collaborating to share updates and advance the RISC-V architecture.

Industry Analysis
The summit provided valuable insights into the current state and future potential of RISC-V technology across various industries. Keynotes and industry tracks focused on the following sectors:

• AI/ML: RISC-V is accelerating AI innovation, allowing developers to build customized processors that optimize AI workloads from edge computing to data centers.
• Automotive: RISC-V is playing a critical role in streamlining development and delivering innovation across the automotive supply chain, especially with the rise of autonomous driving and electrification.
• HPC/Data Center: RISC-V is being leveraged to build advanced AI accelerators and optimize generative AI models.
• IoT and Embedded Systems: RISC-V’s flexibility and cost-effectiveness are driving its adoption in IoT devices and embedded systems.

Product Announcements
Several significant product announcements were made during the summit, highlighting the growing adoption and versatility of RISC-V technology. Key announcements included:

• Andes Technology’s A55 and D53 Processors: Targeting the embedded and automotive sectors, these processors emphasized efficiency and real-time performance, key requirements for these rapidly evolving markets.
• SiFive: Announced the HiFive Premier P550 development board, scheduled for release in December 2024.
• Microchip: Introduced the PIC64HX family of multicore 64-bit RISC-V MPUs for mission-critical intelligent edge applications with integrated time-sensitive networking (TSN) Ethernet connectivity.
• Renesas’ RISC-V-Based MCUs: With a focus on industrial automation and IoT applications, Renesas introduced new RISC-V-based microcontrollers that prioritize low power consumption and robust security features.
• Ventana Micro Systems: Revealed that its Veyron V2 will start shipping in 2025 to address demand for data centers for AI and domain-specific computing.

The RISC-V Tech Market is currently valued at USD 0.92 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to USD 3.59 billion by 2029, with a 31.20% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). This rapid growth is driven by the architecture’s flexibility, simplifying processor instructions and accelerating development timelines. The RISC-V market is expected to proliferate, with chip shipments increasing by 50% annually between 2024 and 2030. By 2030, it is projected that 17 billion RISC-V chips will be shipped, with industrial applications making up 46% of sales and automotive applications experiencing the highest growth rate.

Trends

1. Open-Source Adoption: RISC-V’s open-source nature allows for extensive customization, making it attractive to developers and companies looking to tailor processors to specific needs.
2. Integration with Emerging Technologies: The architecture is increasingly being adopted in smartphones, 5G devices, data centers, and IoT devices. Google’s official support for RISC-V in Android is a significant trend, and plans are in place to make a full-featured RISC-V emulator available for testing apps and games.
3. AI and Automotive Applications: RISC-V is expected to grow substantially in AI and automotive sectors, with an anticipated 66% annual growth in automotive applications.

Key Larger Players

1. Nvidia: Nvidia has been a significant adopter of RISC-V, using it in GPUs, CPUs, and SoCs. The company is projected to ship around one billion RISC-V cores by the end of 2024.
2. Alibaba Group: Alibaba has been actively involved in developing and promoting RISC-V, contributing to the open-source ecosystem.
3. Huawei Technologies: HuaHuawei has integrated RISC-V into its products, leveraging the architecture’s flexibility and performance.
4. Western Digital: Western Digital has adopted RISC-V for its storage solutions, benefiting from the architecture’s scalability and efficiency.
5. Google: Google has been actively involved in the RISC-V ecosystem, particularly through its Android platform:
   • Android Support: Google has developed an initial set of extensions for RISC-V to ensure high-performance capabilities for CPUs running the architecture.
   • Emulator Development: GooGoogle plans to release RISC-V emulators publicly by 2024, allowing developers to test applications for various device form factors.
   • Collaboration with Qualcomm: Google and Qualcomm are working on a RISC-V Snapdragon Wear platform to power next-generation Wear OS solutions. This partnership aims to bring RISC-V compatible CPUs to the Android ecosystem.

Startups Leading Developments
Several startups are at the forefront of RISC-V developments, driving innovation and adoption:

• Rivos: This AI chip startup has raised USD 250 million in Series A funding to develop RISC-V-based accelerators for generative AI and data analytics.
• Akeana: Launched with over USD 100 million in funding, Akeana focuses on developing RISC-V-based CPU cores for IoT devices and advanced driver assistance systems.
• SiFive: Known for its customizable CPU IP solutions, SiFive has raised over USD 350 million in funding.
• Semidynamics: Announced a range of new additions to its RISC-V IP portfolio, including high-performance cores for AI and HPC and a highly advanced memory architecture that bridges the gap between processor types on the same chip.
• Many other IP, tools, and software providers that are critical to this industry’s development.

Conclusion
The RISC-V Summit North America 2024 was a resounding success, showcasing the continued growth and innovation within the RISC-V ecosystem. With significant product announcements, insightful industry analysis, and a strong community presence, the summit highlighted the transformative potential of RISC-V technology across various sectors. My prediction: The movement behind RISC-V will drive open-source hardware to outpace proprietary approaches by a wide margin.