Flow Computing Secures $4.3M to Enhance CPU Performance with 100X Boost in Parallel Processing Capabilities

Flow Computing is at the forefront of on-die ultra-high-performance parallel computing solutions, now emerging from stealth with a significant funding round of $4.3 million from Nordic investors.

Based in Helsinki, Flow Computing claims to deliver a revolutionary 100-fold increase in central processing unit (CPU) performance, a feat traditionally achieved only over decades. This breakthrough allows for immediate integration into standard Von Neumann-based architectures, marking the dawn of what they call "CPU 2.0."

According to Timo Valtonen, cofounder and CEO, "There have been only incremental improvements in CPU performance in recent decades, making the CPU the weakest link in computing due to its sub-optimal sequential architecture." Flow aims to transition to a new era of CPU performance to meet the rising demands of AI, edge, and cloud computing.

Flow's Parallel Performance Unit (PPU) architecture can enhance any CPU performance up to 100 times, while maintaining full backward compatibility with existing software applications. This shift negates the need for costly GPU acceleration in high-performance tasks. The more PPU cores installed on a chip, the greater the performance increase across various CPU applications, including mobile, PC, and supercomputers.

Flow’s technology also benefits the entire motherboard ecosystem, boosting the capabilities of connected components, such as matrix, vector, NPUs, and GPUs. The company is actively engaging with leading semiconductor manufacturers striving for next-generation CPU performance, with more technical details set to be unveiled in the latter half of 2024.

Participating in Flow’s pre-seed funding round are prominent entities including Butterfly Ventures (lead VC), FOV Ventures, Sarsia, Stephen Industries, Superhero Capital, and Business Finland. As a spinout of VTT Technical Research Center of Finland, VTT retains an equity stake in Flow, having transferred substantial patented IP developed throughout the years.

Antti Vasara, CEO of VTT, expressed excitement over Flow’s innovations, emphasizing Finland's commitment to being a global leader in semiconductor design. "Flow is providing a complete performance ecosystem for CPU vendors and development communities around major designs like X86, Apple M-Series, Exynos, ARM, and RISC-V. This technology significantly contributes to the future of the computing industry," he noted.

Juho Risku, partner at Butterfly Ventures, remarked, "The slowdown in CPU improvements has affected the tech industry. Flow represents a significant departure from this trend, promising to deliver performance multiples rather than incremental gains. We believe Flow's impact on the market will surpass even quantum computing in this decade."

In summary, Flow Computing's innovative architecture is set to transform embedded systems and data centers, enhancing applications across edge computing, AI clusters, multimedia codecs for 5G/6G, autonomous vehicles, military-grade systems, and more.