Rebellions bets on non-Nvidia future for global AI infrastructure

Rebellions CEO Park Sung-hyun speaks at a press conference in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday. (Rebellions)

Rebellions, South Korea’s first AI semiconductor unicorn, said it aims to lead the creation of a “non-Nvidia” AI ecosystem, positioning itself as a core player in next-generation AI infrastructure.

“The next five years will be about building a new AI infrastructure system centered on alternatives to Nvidia,” CEO Park Sung-hyun said at a press conference in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

“Rebellions intends to be at the forefront of that shift.”

Park stressed that artificial intelligence infrastructure is a long-term industry shaped by scale and ecosystem-building rather than short-term performance.

“Only companies that invest over the long term and create value as part of a broader ecosystem will survive,” he said, adding that national-level involvement will become increasingly important as global competition intensifies.

Founded in 2020, Rebellions has rapidly emerged as a key player in AI semiconductors. It received early backing from KT Corp. in 2022, followed by Series B investments in 2024 from Saudi Aramco and Pavilion Capital of Singapore. This year, it entered Series C funding and became the first Asian startup selected by Arm.

In August last year, Rebellions merged with Sapeon Korea, an AI chip spinoff from SK Telecom, creating Korea’s first AI semiconductor unicorn.

The company has already mass-produced its first-generation neural processing unit, Atom, and commercialized large-scale AI services. Its flagship product, Rebel-Quad, delivers GPU-class performance comparable to leading offerings from Nvidia, serving as a springboard for overseas expansion. Rebellions has since established subsidiaries in Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Rebellions foresees growing global demand for diversified AI infrastructure, as governments and companies seek alternatives to Nvidia-centric systems. These emerging architectures combine NPUs, new hardware designs, open-source software and advanced interconnect technologies.

“Markets such as the US, Japan, the Middle East and Southeast Asia are actively looking for diversified AI stacks,” said Chief Business Officer Marshall Choy.

“With mature products and proven technology, Rebellions is well-positioned to be a competitive alternative.”

Park also framed the company’s growth as part of Korea’s broader deep-tech ambitions. “Every step forward for Rebellions is a step forward for Korea,” he said.

On its listing plans, Park said next year will be pivotal. “We plan to pursue an initial public offering in Korea first, while also considering a potential dual listing on Nasdaq,” he said, signaling the company’s intent to accelerate its global expansion.