What Graphcore does
Graphcore is a semiconductor and AI systems company best known for its Intelligence Processing Unit (IPU) accelerators and the Poplar software stack used to develop and deploy AI workloads on that hardware. The company positions its core differentiation around a purpose-built, massively parallel processor architecture plus a graph-based programming model (via Poplar) intended to better match machine-intelligence workloads than general-purpose CPU/GPU execution models. Graphcore’s portfolio includes multiple generations of Colossus IPU processors (including the Colossus MK1 and MK2/GC200), IPU-Machine systems, and IPU-POD data center building blocks, along with an inference toolkit and SDK/library ecosystem that supports programming frameworks commonly used by ML teams.
Strategically, Graphcore is now a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group. In 2024, Graphcore publicly announced it was acquired by SoftBank and would continue operating under the Graphcore name. Following that acquisition, Graphcore has continued investing in engineering capacity and operating footprint, including announcements related to an AI Engineering Campus in Bengaluru, workforce expansion, and regional development activity (including a Taipei office and engineering lab).