Processors and their programming system
Graphcore develops Intelligence Processing Units, or IPUs, and supporting systems. Its Poplar software turns framework-level models into compute graphs and manages computation, memory and communication on the hardware. That hardware-software design is its AI contribution, rather than authorship of every model run on an IPU. [3]
Joining SoftBank as a subsidiary
The company announced its completed acquisition by SoftBank in July 2024. The datelined company release described a wholly owned subsidiary; its current about page retains that relationship. That evidence supports a parent field rather than inferring ownership from an investment rumor. [1][2]
Common ownership does not merge identities
Graphcore’s parent is SoftBank. The acquisition did not turn it into Arm or establish that Arm designed every Graphcore processor. Its future compute roadmap and prospective benefits remain separate from the completed ownership transaction. [1][2]
Sources
- Graphcore joins SoftBank Group to build next generation of AI compute
Graphcore · Jul 12, 2024
- Graphcore’s staff, investors and mission
Graphcore · retrieved Oct 23, 2026
- Introducing 2nd Generation IPU Systems for AI at Scale
Graphcore · Jul 15, 2020