SiFive, one of the key companies in the RISC-V ecosystem, is undergoing a significant restructuring marked by extensive layoffs and apparently a shift in business focus, reports More Than Moore . The company is seemingly retracting from its pre-designed core offerings, which means it may focus on custom cores instead. Meanwhile, the move casts uncertainty over SiFive's future in general along with its contributions to the RISC-V.

RISC-V has become quite a popular choice for making miniature low-cost cores, but there are several companies who are working on higher-performance RISC-V-based offerings. SiFive is one of such companies offering ready-to-use designs and also making custom cores based on what customers need. But now, SiFive has laid off somewhere between 100 to over 300 employees from around 700 in mid-October. Most of these were engineers, along with some sales and product personnel. Meanwhile, the company's leaders, including CEO Patrick Little, are still there.

While the company confirmed changes, it provided few details.

"As we adjust to the rapidly changing semiconductor end markets, SiFive is realigning across all of our teams and geographies to better take advantage of the opportunities ahead, reduce operational complexities and increase our ability to respond quickly to customer product requirements," a statement by SiFive reads. "Unfortunately, as a result some positions were eliminated last week. […] SiFive continues to be excited about the momentum and long-term outlook for our business and RISC-V.

One big change is that SiFive seems to be reducing focus on ready-to-use chip designs. Instead, they are primarily are going to work on custom designs made for specific customer needs. This is a big shift and means that SiFive is narrowing its focus and offering fewer options to customers.

The ramifications of SiFive's restructuring raise questions regarding its future trajectory and influence within the RISC-V sector. The organizational changes, marked by significant layoffs and a shift in business strategy, cast uncertainty over the company's forthcoming contributions to RISC-V standards and its broader impact on the industry's evolutionary path.