Intel gives RosaicLabs Atom access and aims to ship RTL code

Why it matters

Rosaic gives Amarjit Gill access to rarely licensed Intel processor technology and gives Intel a test case for selective x86 licensing. The deal's credibility will rest on its commercial terms and what Gill builds with the access.

Amarjit Gill is leading RosaicLabs, a newly incorporated chip developer that has gained access to Intel's closely held processor technology, Reuters reported on July 29. The arrangement brings the SiByte and P.A. Semi veteran back inside Intel's orbit.

Intel has provided RosaicLabs access to its Atom technology and aims to ship register-transfer level, or RTL, code for an Atom processor to RosaicLabs, according to Reuters, which cited a source briefed on the arrangement and corporate documents. RTL describes a chip's functions before those designs are turned into physical circuitry. Access at that level would let RosaicLabs build a custom design around Intel intellectual property, a veteran chip executive told Reuters.

The relationship stands out because Intel has historically kept tight control of its x86 processor designs. Reuters described the deal as a rare instance of Intel providing Atom technology to an outside developer. Intel markets Atom processors for low-power computing, including compact and edge systems where heat and energy use shape the entire product design.

Gill has repeatedly built companies that larger chipmakers wanted

Gill's record helps explain why Intel would make an exception for a corporation formed only months ago. He founded Maginatics, which EMC acquired in 2014, and co-founded three earlier semiconductor companies that were bought by strategic acquirers: SiByte by Broadcom, P.A. Semi by Apple and Agnilux by Google, according to his Equilar biography. Before those ventures, Gill worked in technical sales at Texas Instruments and Digital Equipment Corp.'s semiconductor group, then joined Intel after Intel acquired that DEC operation.

That career has placed Gill on both sides of semiconductor transactions. He has assembled technical teams and opened commercial doors, then sold the resulting businesses to companies seeking scarce processor talent or intellectual property.

RosaicLabs filed its first Delaware incorporation documents in May 2026, Reuters reported. A California corporate listing records Rosaiclabs Inc. as an active Santa Clara stock corporation filed on July 7. An amended Delaware filing dated July 24 named Gill as CEO.

Reuters also reported that RosaicLabs' founding group includes veterans of Rivos, the data-center chip developer that Meta acquired in 2025. Amit Parikh, Rivos' former finance chief, signed RosaicLabs' incorporation document. The filings establish Parikh's role in forming RosaicLabs, though they do not specify his operating title.

The Intel connection runs through two prior chip bets

Gill and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan have spent years investing and assembling semiconductor companies together. Both made seed-stage investments in Nuvia, Reuters reported. Qualcomm agreed to acquire Nuvia for approximately $1.4 billion in 2021.

Gill also helped Tan build Rivos' founding team, according to Reuters. Tan served as Rivos' chairman before Meta acquired the chip developer.

Tan became Intel CEO on March 18, 2025, after more than a decade running Cadence Design Systems and years investing through Walden International and Walden Catalyst Ventures. The RosaicLabs arrangement shows how Tan's investing network can create new routes for Intel technology. It also puts pressure on Intel to demonstrate that access decisions involving longtime associates are governed by commercial and technical merit.

The terms reported so far do not establish an investment by Tan, Gill, Intel or their affiliated funds in RosaicLabs. They establish a technology relationship between Intel and a new corporation run by Gill. The economics of that relationship, including licensing fees, ownership rights and any exclusivity, will determine how unusual the deal proves in practice.

A $10 million authorization is an opening budget

Reuters' analysis indicates that RosaicLabs can seek a $10 million seed round. That figure represents fundraising capacity rather than cash already raised.

The filing also allows RosaicLabs executives to incur capital expenditures below $5 million without investor or board approval, according to Reuters. That threshold gives Gill and the operating group room to move quickly through an early chip-design cycle, where engineering tools, intellectual-property licenses and outside design services can consume capital well before fabrication begins.

A $10 million seed would still require tight choices for a custom silicon program. RosaicLabs would need to define the surrounding system, verify the design, select manufacturing partners and build software support. Intel's planned delivery of Atom RTL code would provide a processor design around which RosaicLabs could develop that system.

RosaicLabs' first design will define the deal

Atom's power profile gives Gill several possible directions. Intel positions the family for edge devices, automation and compact systems, while Atom variants have also served networking and embedded workloads. RosaicLabs' product choice will show whether Gill sees an overlooked market for custom x86 silicon or intends to pair Atom cores with specialized acceleration for a narrower use case.

Intel's decision gives RosaicLabs access that most newly formed chip developers do not receive. Gill now has to turn that relationship and a familiar Rivos network into a design customers will fund and deploy. His previous companies attracted buyers by assembling valuable processor technology and teams. RosaicLabs begins with access to Intel's Atom technology and Intel's Reuters-reported plan to provide RosaicLabs with RTL code.