Efabless shuts down, fate of Tiny Tapeout chip production projects unclear

Efabless, a company which broke down the barriers of the computer chip creation process for enthusiasts and smaller players, has abruptly shut down. The firm was an essential enabler for a number of weird and wonderful custom chip developments we've featured on Tom's Hardware over the last year. However, Efabless has posted that it is facing "funding challenges," and we have no idea whether it will return. A worst-case scenario is that this is the end of the road for the firm - and the end of the Tiny Tapeout open source silicon projects that depended on it.

Tiny Tapeout (TT) has provided a more detailed discussion of the shutdown, with particular regard to its in-progress projects. It laments the situation Efabless is now in, and probably most importantly for the creators and makers who might be reading, it highlights that both TT08 and TT09 are now in limbo.

Specifically, all projects which were part of TT08 should now know that their silicon is still awaiting packaging. Project TT09 is less advanced, with silicon said to be still in the SkyWater Technology fab which produces the finished wafers (130nm lithography).

If those projects are never completed, it would be a very sad loss as each represents "a huge investment of time and energy from hundreds of people," says Tiny Tapeout on LinkedIn. Indeed, the firm isn't sure even if the fruit of TT08 will ever be seen by its contributors. TT09 must face even greater uncertainty. Thankfully, the incomplete TT10 project has been paused as Tiny Tapeout explores alternative avenues.

Participation in the Tiny Tapeout programs already required a lot of patience. For example, the aforementioned TT08 launched on June 10, 2024, with submissions closed in early September. Chips were expected to be ready by April this year, with PCBs sent out to the respective project authors from May. TT08 included 135 projects. The more recent TT09 featured nearly 370 projects.

So, will Tiny Tapeout sign-ups receive any kind of recompense? We are happy to hear that the Tiny Tapeout organizers have some positive plans already in place. Firstly, the organization says it is "prepared to offer a refund to all our affected customers in the case we aren't able to ship those chips." Secondly, it continues to explore avenues to make good the TT08 and TT09 projects. For example, it is talking with both IHP and GlobalFoundries about routes to manufacture.

If you are a Tiny Tapeout customer, you shouldn't be left waiting for news from sites like ours, though. Tiny Tapeout says it will be "in contact soon via email," to those directly affected by the Efabless shut down.