Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger Announced on Twitter today The company’s current chief architect, Raja Koduri, is leaving the company to found a generative AI gaming software startup. Koduri’s departure comes five years after he joined the company in November 2017 and follows Intel’s restructuring of his AXG graphics units announced late last year.
Koduri took over as AXG’s leader last year, but returned to chief architect following the restructuring, a position he held when he joined Intel in 2017 after five years at AMD.
On a bittersweet note, goodbye @Randhir_Intel and @RajaXg. Both will leave Intel at the end of March.March 21, 2023
“@RajaXg thank you for your many contributions to Intel’s technology and architecture, especially high-performance graphics that have helped us bring three new product lines to market in 2022. Gaming, Media and Entertainment.” Gelsinger posted on Twitter.
Raja Koduri replied with thanks to Gelsinger and Intel. Koduri also promised to share more details about his latest adventure in the coming weeks.
Thank you Pat and @intel for the many cherished memories and incredible learnings over the last 5 years. As you can see below, I’m doing a software startup and embarking on a new chapter in my life. We will be sharing a lot more in the coming weeks. https://t.co/8DcnNdso3rMarch 21, 2023
Intel has already rebuilt its graphics units, so there are no pending organizational changes due to Koduri’s departure, the company said. Intel’s Jeff McVeigh will continue in his current role as interim leader of the AXG team while Intel looks for a permanent leader.
Koduri joined Intel at the same time as fellow ex-AMD Jim Keller. Koduri worked with Keller and Murthy Renduchintala to help design and align Intel’s silicon portfolio under his new six-pillar strategy that showcases Intel’s IP strengths. Unfortunately, that initiative faltered after Keller, and Renduchintala left the company in 2020 following delays regarding the company’s 7nm process node.
Koduri served as head of the architecture, software and graphics groups, eventually being promoted to executive vice president in April 2022.
During his tenure, Koduri led the creation and launch of Intel’s Arc graphics cards and Ponte Vecchio GPUs. On the one hand, Intel’s entry into the discrete GPU market has been mostly successful considering it’s the first big company to enter the space in 25 years. However, due to the late arrival of Intel’s long-awaited Ponte Vecchio, the company recently decided to ditch its Rialto Bridge successor.
Meanwhile, Intel Arc graphics cards for desktop PCs have also arrived late, putting them at a disadvantage compared to competing AMD and Nvidia GPUs. Intel has been steadily dropping prices while improving drivers and performance since launch. This continues in Koduri’s absence.
Koduri spent 4 years at Apple, 2 years at AMD, about 13 years in total, and 5.5 years at Intel. He is currently trying to launch a generative AI startup. More details about his latest venture will undoubtedly be reported in the press.
