Raja Koduri to Depart Intel, Launch Gaming AI Startup
Raja Koduri, who joined Intel after leaving AMD in 2017, once headed the AXG business division. In December of last year, Intel disbanded and restructured the team, with Koduri resuming his prior role as Chief Architect. Simultaneously, he served as Intel’s Executive Vice President. However, Koduri is now set to depart, as Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger announced that he will leave the company by the end of this month to establish a brand-new startup focusing on AI-generated software for computer gaming.
Both Raja Koduri and Pat Gelsinger publicly acknowledged the matter on Twitter. As Intel has already restructured its graphics division, Koduri’s departure will not leave any loose ends. Jeff McVeigh will assume temporary leadership of the AXG team, while Intel searches for a permanent replacement.
Koduri had joined Intel alongside former AMD employee Jim Keller, collaborating with Murthy Renduchintala to introduce a new six-pillar strategy based on the company’s IP advantages. This helped design and adjust Intel’s chip product portfolio. Unfortunately, the plan lost momentum after Keller’s departure, followed by Renduchintala’s exit when Intel’s 7nm process node was delayed.
Under Koduri’s guidance, Intel developed and launched the Arc Alchemist graphics card and Ponte Vecchio GPU. This marked a significant step in Intel’s return to the discrete GPU market, injecting new vigor into a sector long dominated by NVIDIA and AMD. Although Intel currently offers only three products – the A380, A750, and A770 – and the Arc product line has experienced setbacks and delays, market reactions to the products have been mixed. Despite rumors that Intel might cut its Arc business, the company continues to enhance its graphics card performance through driver updates and price adjustments, significantly improving the products’ cost-effectiveness since their launch.
As for his forthcoming startup, further details are scarce, but Koduri will share more information in the coming weeks.
