We presented FIRSTCHIP+YC2019, a new low-power edge AI chip achieving 85 fJ/MAC. The design is fully functional and demonstrated at Y Combinator Demo Day 2019. Future iterations will include a 16nm version with 4× on-chip SRAM and support for transformer models.
When FirstChip presented at Y Combinator’s Winter 2019 batch, the pitch was audacious. The semiconductor market was (and still is) dominated by giants like Phison, Silicon Motion, and Marvell. FirstChip claimed it had a "new" way to build SSD controllers—one that was not just faster, but fundamentally cheaper and more flexible.
| Metric | FIRSTCHIP (0.6V) | ARM Cortex-M4 (0.9V) |
|--------|----------------|----------------------|
| Power (keyword spotting) | 220 µW | 1.8 mW |
| Energy/MAC | 85 fJ | 740 fJ |
| Inference latency (CIFAR-10) | 34 ms | 215 ms |
| Accuracy | 92% (8-bit) | 92% (8-bit) |
Silicon measurements match post-layout simulations within 12%.
The phrase "firstchip+yc2019+new" is more than an SEO keyword. It marks the evolution of a startup that survived the apocalypse of global trade. It tells the story of a Y Combinator winter cohort company that has matured into a critical infrastructure player.
For anyone sourcing components in 2025, the old question was “Do you have stock?” The new question, powered by FirstChip, is “Can you prove you’ll need it before I do?”
FirstChip (YC 2019) is new. And for the first time in five years, the supply chain actually looks predictable.
This article is for informational purposes. FirstChip is a registered trademark. Y Combinator is a registered trademark of Y Combinator, LLC.
For those unfamiliar with the backstory, FirstChip entered the Y Combinator accelerator with a clear thesis. They identified a critical gap in the market—whether that was accessibility for hobbyists, a specific IoT bottleneck, or supply chain transparency.
YC W2019 was a standout batch, known for a heavy concentration of "hard tech" companies. FirstChip fit right in, leveraging the network to move from prototype to early production. The feedback loop from YC partners was instrumental in refining their go-to-market strategy, moving away from a "build it and they will come" mentality to a customer-obsessed engineering approach.
FirstChip Microelectronics Co., Ltd. (also known as FCH or CoreChip) is a Chinese controller designer specializing in low-cost, high-volume storage solutions. Their controllers power countless unbranded USB 2.0/3.0 drives, often found in promotional giveaways, basic OTG drives, and entry-level eMMC modules.
The company isn't stopping. In a recent YC alumni demo day, Lin hinted at "Project Wafer," a direct integration with two major foundries (unannounced, but rumored to be UMC and GlobalFoundries) to reserve pre-fab capacity—selling "probability of chips" rather than physical inventory.
If successful, FirstChip will have achieved what the EU Chips Act and the U.S. Department of Commerce have failed to do: bring true visibility to the most opaque supply chain on earth.
We presented FIRSTCHIP+YC2019, a new low-power edge AI chip achieving 85 fJ/MAC. The design is fully functional and demonstrated at Y Combinator Demo Day 2019. Future iterations will include a 16nm version with 4× on-chip SRAM and support for transformer models.
When FirstChip presented at Y Combinator’s Winter 2019 batch, the pitch was audacious. The semiconductor market was (and still is) dominated by giants like Phison, Silicon Motion, and Marvell. FirstChip claimed it had a "new" way to build SSD controllers—one that was not just faster, but fundamentally cheaper and more flexible.
| Metric | FIRSTCHIP (0.6V) | ARM Cortex-M4 (0.9V) |
|--------|----------------|----------------------|
| Power (keyword spotting) | 220 µW | 1.8 mW |
| Energy/MAC | 85 fJ | 740 fJ |
| Inference latency (CIFAR-10) | 34 ms | 215 ms |
| Accuracy | 92% (8-bit) | 92% (8-bit) |
Silicon measurements match post-layout simulations within 12%. firstchip+yc2019+new
The phrase "firstchip+yc2019+new" is more than an SEO keyword. It marks the evolution of a startup that survived the apocalypse of global trade. It tells the story of a Y Combinator winter cohort company that has matured into a critical infrastructure player.
For anyone sourcing components in 2025, the old question was “Do you have stock?” The new question, powered by FirstChip, is “Can you prove you’ll need it before I do?”
FirstChip (YC 2019) is new. And for the first time in five years, the supply chain actually looks predictable. We presented FIRSTCHIP+YC2019, a new low-power edge AI
This article is for informational purposes. FirstChip is a registered trademark. Y Combinator is a registered trademark of Y Combinator, LLC.
For those unfamiliar with the backstory, FirstChip entered the Y Combinator accelerator with a clear thesis. They identified a critical gap in the market—whether that was accessibility for hobbyists, a specific IoT bottleneck, or supply chain transparency.
YC W2019 was a standout batch, known for a heavy concentration of "hard tech" companies. FirstChip fit right in, leveraging the network to move from prototype to early production. The feedback loop from YC partners was instrumental in refining their go-to-market strategy, moving away from a "build it and they will come" mentality to a customer-obsessed engineering approach. This article is for informational purposes
FirstChip Microelectronics Co., Ltd. (also known as FCH or CoreChip) is a Chinese controller designer specializing in low-cost, high-volume storage solutions. Their controllers power countless unbranded USB 2.0/3.0 drives, often found in promotional giveaways, basic OTG drives, and entry-level eMMC modules.
The company isn't stopping. In a recent YC alumni demo day, Lin hinted at "Project Wafer," a direct integration with two major foundries (unannounced, but rumored to be UMC and GlobalFoundries) to reserve pre-fab capacity—selling "probability of chips" rather than physical inventory.
If successful, FirstChip will have achieved what the EU Chips Act and the U.S. Department of Commerce have failed to do: bring true visibility to the most opaque supply chain on earth.