How Two Harvard Dropouts Are Taking on Nvidia with a Chip That Could Change AI Forever

In a world dominated by tech giants like Nvidia, a daring startup founded by two Harvard dropouts is making waves with a bold bet on specialized AI chips. Etched AI, a company that barely existed two years ago, has already attracted the attention of top investors and tech enthusiasts, thanks to its groundbreaking approach to AI chip development. But this isn’t just another chip startup—it’s a David vs. Goliath story, with Etched AI hoping to redefine the future of artificial intelligence.

From Harvard Dropouts to AI Chips

Founded in 2022 by Gavin Uberti and Chris Zhu, Etched AI was born out of a realization that the world was on the verge of a new AI era. Both co-founders were Harvard students at the time, working summer internships that sparked their interest in chip development. They saw a future where AI models, specifically transformer-based models, would dominate the landscape.

Uberti recalls the defining moment of their journey: “In 2022, we made a bet that transformers would take over the world. We’ve hit a point in the evolution of AI where specialized chips that can perform better than general-purpose GPUs are inevitable — and the technical decision-makers of the world know this.”

With that vision, they made the risky decision to drop out of Harvard and devote themselves fully to Etched AI. The duo quickly assembled a team of engineers and AI experts, and soon the Sohu chip, Etched AI’s flagship product, began to take shape.