SANTA CLARA — AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) has announced the acquisition of Silo AI, Europe’s largest private AI lab, in an all-cash transaction valued at $665 million. This strategic acquisition strengthens AMD’s ongoing AI strategy by adding world-class AI scientists and engineers to the team and enables the rapid scaling and deployment of open-source AI solutions for enterprise customers worldwide. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2024.
Silo AI specializes in developing cutting-edge AI models and platforms for leading enterprises in industries spanning cloud, embedded systems, and endpoint computing. Their work includes creating open-source, multilingual Large Language Models (LLMs) such as Poro and Viking, which are built on AMD platforms. By bringing Silo AI into the AMD fold, AMD aims to leverage these capabilities to accelerate the development of enterprise AI solutions and deliver best-in-class AI models and compute solutions to customers.
Peter Sarlin, CEO and co-founder of Silo AI, will continue to lead the team, now as part of AMD’s Artificial Intelligence Group, reporting to Vamsi Boppana, senior vice president of the group. Sarlin and his team are well-regarded for their expertise in AI and their innovative approach to creating impactful solutions for businesses in diverse sectors.
Fostering AI Innovation and Solutions Across Industries
“Enterprises across every industry are actively seeking ways to quickly deploy AI solutions that meet their specific business needs,” said Vamsi Boppana, senior vice president of the Artificial Intelligence Group at AMD. “Silo AI’s team, with their deep expertise in AI model development, including state-of-the-art LLMs on AMD platforms, will help us accelerate the pace of AI adoption and further enhance the AI offerings available to our customers globally.”
Founded in Helsinki, Finland, with operations in Europe and North America, Silo AI’s portfolio includes a range of AI-driven products and services, including solutions for major customers like Allianz, Philips, Rolls-Royce, and Unilever. Their AI models and platforms, such as the SiloGen model platform, are used by enterprises to integrate AI into their operations seamlessly.
A Powerful Partnership to Shape the Future of AI
Silo AI’s acquisition represents an exciting step for both companies as they join forces to deliver even more impactful AI solutions. “Our mission at Silo AI has always been to build a flagship AI company, and today’s announcement marks an exciting chapter in that journey,” said Peter Sarlin. “We are thrilled to work with AMD to scale our impact and help businesses solve their most challenging AI deployment needs. Together, we can accelerate the development of AI models and solutions that drive real business value.”
The partnership has already garnered support from key industry leaders. Nishant Batra, Chief Strategy and Technology Officer at Nokia, highlighted Silo AI’s role in advancing AI technologies, saying, “Silo AI has been an invaluable long-term partner for us. We look forward to the enhanced capabilities that will come from the integration of AMD’s AI solutions.”
Strengthening AI Infrastructure Across Europe
Silo AI’s expertise has been integral to the success of large AI projects, including training large language models on LUMI, Europe’s fastest supercomputer, powered by AMD Instinct MI250X GPUs. Dr. Pekka Manninen, Director of Science and Technology at CSC-IT Center for Science, Finland, commented, “Silo AI has helped us train state-of-the-art open-source models for EU languages like Poro and Viking. Their work has been crucial in optimizing the software layer, ensuring efficient AI model training on LUMI.”
Expanding Opportunities in Europe and Beyond
The acquisition further underscores AMD’s commitment to Europe’s AI landscape. Mats Agervi, CEO of Combient, a partner of Silo AI, noted, “Silo AI’s capabilities open up expanded opportunities for AI-driven value creation in Europe and beyond. This acquisition enhances the potential for driving AI adoption across Nordic countries and their leading companies.”
Through this acquisition, AMD continues to build upon its leadership in AI technology, reinforcing its mission to advance AI computing capabilities for enterprises and industries worldwide. Silo AI’s integration into AMD will offer enterprises new tools to harness the power of AI, helping them scale and innovate faster than ever before.
