• Retym emerges from stealth with $180M total funding, including a new $75M Series D round led by Spark Capital.
  • The company develops programmable coherent DSP chips to enhance communication in AI data centers.
  • Founded in 2021, Retym aims to challenge Marvell Technology's dominance in the DSP market.

Semiconductor startup Retym has emerged from stealth mode, announcing it has raised a total of $180 million to develop advanced chips that speed up communication within and between AI data centers.

The Cupertino-based company just closed a $75 million Series D funding round led by Spark Capital, with participation from existing investors Kleiner Perkins, Mayfield, and Fidelity Investments.

As part of the deal, Spark Capital General Partner James Kuklinski joins Retym's board of directors.

Founded in 2021, Retym (pronounced "re-time") specializes in programmable coherent digital signal processing (DSP) solutions—critical components that enable faster and more efficient data transmission in AI infrastructure.

The company is using TSMC's 5-nanometer manufacturing technology for its first chip, which is currently in testing.

"As AI workloads continue to scale exponentially, they're creating unprecedented demands on critical infrastructure," said Kuklinski. "Retym's exceptional team is uniquely positioned to address these challenges."

The funding announcement comes at a strategic time, as Retym aims to challenge established players in the DSP market, particularly industry leader Marvell Technology.

According to research firm Dell'Oro Group, global spending on datacenter compute and networking is expected to exceed $1 trillion annually within the next decade.

Retym co-founder and CTO Roni El-Bahar published his first blog post Monday, stating that he founded the company to bring competition to a DSP market historically "controlled by a handful of large semiconductor companies."

"As AI infrastructure demands intensify, Retym is well-positioned to lead in delivering cost-effective and power-efficient DSP innovation," said Sachin Gandhi, Retym's co-founder and CEO.

Edited By Annette George