Definition
Sohu is etched’s transformer-specific inference ASIC that hardcodes LLM attention mechanisms into silicon, optimized exclusively for transformer-based model inference (not training).
Key Points
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2026-07-23: Parent company etched raises 10.3B to scale inference systems (2026-07-23-etched-300m-series-c-10-3b-valuation)
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Fabricated on TSMC N4P; first-pass silicon (A0 tapeout) validated
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Rack-scale systems running DeepSeek, Qwen, Mamba, Llama
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Company claims 8-chip server replaces 160 H100s on Llama-70B (unverified independently)
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Architecture concentration risk: obsolete if industry shifts away from transformers