Qualcomm, Intel, Samsung invest in US-based chip-maker

After cutting ties with Huawei because of US government`s ban on the Chinese tech giant, Qualcomm, Intel and Samsung have invested money in a US-based chip-maker SiFive that produces computer chips based on the RISC-V instruction set architecture.

According to The Information, the chip-design company has raised $65.4 million as part of its latest funding round, Android Authority reported on Saturday. 

To create RISC-V-based chip designs, SiFive teams up with other tech companies and churns out new designs in one to three months, promising to deliver sample chips "within weeks". 

RISC-V is an open-source hardware instruction set architecture, based on established reduced instruction set computer principles, generally used in Internet of Things (IoT) devices, micro-controllers, network tech and even smart wearables. 

Usually, gadgets such as smart speakers, smart watches, and smartphones use processors based on Intel`s x86 and Arm`s instruction sets.

SiFive chips based on Arm chips typically take roughly a year. 

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Francisco, SiFive is being seen as an emerging competitor to UK-based chip-maker ARM Holdings.

After ARM Holdings cut trade ties with Huawei earlier in June, it is possible that in the future, Huawei could also have to turn to the RISC-V architectured chips to power its next bunch of handsets, the report added.