Rapidus Ramps Up: Japanese Chipmaker in Talks with Tech Titans

Japanese semiconductor manufacturer Rapidus is currently in discussions with major global tech companies—including Apple and Google—to scale up mass production of advanced chips, according to a Nikkei Business Daily report citing the company’s CEO Atsuyoshi Koike, Reuters reported on Friday.

Targeting 2027 for Full-Scale Production

Rapidus aims to begin large-scale production of next-generation chips by 2027. The company has already partially activated a prototype chip production line at its factory in Hokkaido, with plans to make the line fully operational within this month.

CEO Koike stated that Rapidus is "in talks with major technology companies, including Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft." However, he did not name any specific clients.

Global Aspirations with Advanced Tech

By leveraging cutting-edge semiconductor technologies, Rapidus is striving to compete on a global scale. The company believes that successful negotiations with large tech firms could significantly boost its production capacity and solidify its presence in the high-end chip manufacturing sector.