Sam Altman-Backed Rain AI Hires Apple Chip Vet to Lead Hardware
- The startup also recruited a senior Meta engineer this month
- Rain joins a growing number of firms exploring new AI hardware
Backed by OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman and Y Combinator, San Francisco-based Rain AI is one of a growing cohort of startups looking to develop new hardware for AI platforms.
Photographer: Dustin Chambers/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Rain AI has recruited an Apple Inc. chip executive to lead hardware engineering, the second high-profile hire this month for a startup trying to design a new type of semiconductor for artificial intelligence.
Jean-Didier Allegrucci, who helped oversee the development of processors that replaced Intel Corp. in iPhones and Macs, will steer Rain AI’s efforts to create more energy-efficient chips. He’ll work with lead architect Amin Firoozshahian, who moved over to the startup after five years at Meta Platforms Inc.