Altera completes separation from Intel and continues as an independent company. It is not a final breakup, as the two companies continue to maintain close ties.
In a post on X, Altera declares independence from Intel. The flag was symbolically raised at the chip company’s headquarters. This completes a long separation on paper, but Intel continues to have close ties to its former subsidiary.
Intel acquired Altera in 2015. Since late 2023, it began to distance itself more. Altera was first transformed into an independent entity under Intel’s banner. In Intel’s restructuring plans announced late last year, Altera no longer appeared to be a priority for Intel. New investors were sought to take over a minority stake in the company.
FPGA
Altera specializes in Field Programmable Gate Arrays, better known as FPGAs. An FPGA is a modifiable chip containing transistors arranged in logical blocks, but not in a fixed architecture like, say, an x86 processor. Through firmware, users can link those blocks together however they want. This provides greater flexibility and lower costs.
This creates a unique chip tailored to specific tasks, without effectively requiring the end user to develop and have their own chip made. Intel had high hopes for FPGA technology a decade ago to expand its footprint in the data center market.
Close ties
Intel and Altera are parting as friends. For now, Altera will have its chips baked by Intel Foundry, the manufacturing arm that Intel also wants to divest. But in principle, as an independent company, Altera is free to partner with other bakers. An IPO is a possible next step for Altera.
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