Bristol-based startup VyperCore is shaking up the tech world with its ambitious plan to develop a 5nm chip called Akurra, aimed at accelerating server-class applications without requiring any changes to existing software code.

This innovative approach promises a fivefold increase in processing speed for generative AI tasks, offering developers a hassle-free upgrade path.

VyperCore’s memory management architecture is the key to its performance gains. By shifting the complexity of memory allocation management from software to hardware, the company claims it can eliminate up to 80% of the processor cycles typically consumed by these tasks.

This transition not only improves the speed but also ensures full memory safety at the hardware level, which is crucial for running applications efficiently.

Russell Haggar, co-founder and CEO of VyperCore, highlighted the company’s commitment to providing significant performance improvements, stating, “We are a processor company, and we are promising a 5x speed-up without changing a line of code, with memory safety in hardware.”

This philosophy is central to VyperCore’s mission to create versatile processors suitable for a wide range of devices, from everyday appliances to powerful servers.

The startup’s technology is especially beneficial for data center applications, as it accelerates programming languages like C, C++, and Python—yielding performance improvements of 2x and 5x, respectively.

This is particularly valuable for handling non-optimized code generated by AI systems, making it easier for developers to work with existing software.

VyperCore raised £4 million in funding last year and is actively seeking additional investment to drive its product development. The company is also expanding its workforce, planning to double its team across its Bristol and Cambridge offices.

Currently, VyperCore’s first product, the Akurra single-core RISC-V processor, is being tested on an FPGA.

The company plans to release a single-core test chip next year, followed by a multicore commercial server chip and an accelerator card, with production targeted for the end of 2026.