Kalray Coolidge 2 DPU 3-Gen Processor Optimized for AI and Intensive Data Processing

Kalray, Inc. announces the tape-out ⁽¹⁾ of Coolidge 2, a new version of its 3^rd gen Coolidge DPU processor.

Based on the company’s patented MPPA (Massively Parallel Processor Array) architecture, the Coolidge 2 processor has been designed to deliver higher performance in the processing of AI and data in general. Thanks to Coolidge 2, the firm intends to accelerate its growth, particularly in edge computing and data-intensive storage workloads.

Coolidge 2, high-performance DPU processor for AI
At a time when AI development is progressing, mastering this technology is a major challenge, both in terms of managing algorithms and in processing the massive quantities of data generated and stored by AI workloads. Processors are at the forefront of the solution.

“We are very excited to announce the tape-out of Coolidge 2, in line with our roadmap. This is an essential milestone, marking the start of the manufacturing process and the culmination of a technological challenge. Coolidge 2 will enable us to offer enterprises an extremely competitive alternative for data processing and AI in particular, with one of the best ratios for performance/energy consumption/price in the inference and edge computing markets,“  says Eric Baissus, CEO.

In this race to performance, Coolidge 2 DPU processor stands out for its MPPA architecture, which offers unique capabilities and enables fine control over neural network processing, from memory transfers to utilization of the processor’s computing capabilities. The company has optimized every element to enhance the processor’s overall performance, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Coolidge 2 processor architecture.

As a result, Coolidge 2 will offer up to 10x the performance as compared to the previous version of the processor. This improvement will be relevant for applications such as DL algorithms used in neural networks applied to image processing.

At the end of 2022, the firm announced the signing of a ‘jumbo contract ^(2)’ with a major player, who intends to integrate Coolidge 2 into its forthcoming solutions.

Solutions for data-intensive storage
With the rise of AI and the need to process and analyze data ever more efficiently, fast storage plays an essential role. Large language model solutions such as ChatGPT could not function without a fast, efficient storage system that enables predictive models to be trained as quickly as possible.

Thanks to its DPU processor, the firm enjoys a unique position in the data-intensive storage market. Coolidge 2 is specifically optimized to complement the company’s current range of NVMe storage solutions and to deliver the performance required to meet market demands for years to come.

“Data-intensive storage is a fast-growing market, particularly due to the adoption of increasingly large predictive AI models that are very greedy for storage resources during the learning phases. Coolidge 2 offers our customers a unique solution to accelerate the learning phase of models, which is a major challenge for the industry,” concludes Baissus.

Finally, Coolidge 2 will provide all the technical assets of its predecessor: computing power combined with low energy consumption, ease of programming, high-speed interfaces, the ability to run multiple applications in parallel and deterministically, and on-the-fly, real-time data processing.

The 1st samples of Coolidge 2 will be available this summer.

The firm is the only European player to offer this new-gen, high-performance, low-power DPU processor.

It is positioning itself to become a key player in the data processing market in the years to come. With the acquisition in 2022 of Arcapix Holdings Ltd, a software company specializing in data storage and management solutions, the firm has complemented its hardware offerings with software solutions, enabling it to offer a complete range of products and services. Current partnerships with technology vendors such as Dell Technologies, a partnership from which the company is beginning to reap the 1st results, demonstrate the relevance of its value proposition and offering.

Product offerings, customer portfolio, sales growth and workforce expansion
Kalray is undergoing a rapid transformation at every level of the company. While many tech players have massively downsized, the company’s headcount has jumped by 74% in one year, and is set to grow by another 20% in 2023 to keep pace with the firm’s development efforts.

Alongside Coolidge 2, the company’s teams are preparing for the future and are already working on 4^th gen DPU processor, Dolomites .

⁽¹⁾ The Tape-out is an important stage in the life cycle of a processor, marking the completion of the design phase and the start of the manufacturing process with the sending of the photomask graphics of the circuits to the manufacturing plant.
⁽²⁾ See November 14, 2022, Signing of a Large Contract with an Industry Leader for Kalray’s DPU Processor