Anthropic in Talks to Source AI Chips from UK Startup Fractile

Anthropic is in early discussions to buy AI inference chips from London-based startup Fractile, reports The Information. The talks could add Fractile as a new supplier alongside Anthropic's existing relationships with Google, Amazon, and Nvidia.

Fractile is developing chips that use static random access memory to reduce data movement, which can improve efficiency for running large AI models. The chips are expected to be available next year, meaning any agreement would not address Anthropic's current compute needs.

Anthropic has been expanding its chip supply to reduce reliance on Nvidia hardware and to lower operational costs linked to inference workloads. The company recently signed large-scale cloud deals with Google and Amazon, securing access to custom chips and additional server capacity.

Fractile, founded in 2022 by Walter Goodwin, is among several startups creating hardware optimized for AI inference. The company is raising more than $100 million at a valuation above $1 billion, with potential investors including Founders Fund, 8VC, and Accel.