Helping a unicorn achieve escape velocity and reach the moon
Helping a unicorn achieve escape velocity and reach the moon
THE SITUATION
RISC-V is shaking up the silicon industry. As an open instruction set architecture (ISA), RISC-V offers unparalleled design freedom and there are now billions of RISC-V cores on the market. This has created a whole ecosystem of companies collaborating to develop RISC-V hardware and software. Enter SiFive.
SiFive was founded by pioneers who introduced the RISC-V ISA. They wanted a communications partner who could help shape the external perception of the startup and its leadership.
But, SiFive needed to move quickly. The company was about to announce its Series F funding and PR and marketing activities were essential to highlight this next stage of growth. SiFive engaged Racepoint Global (RPG) to drive headlines by emphasizing SiFive’s technology leadership and market expansion — and highlighting SiFive’s mission to give customers true choice in the IP market.
THE STRATEGY
RPG helped SiFive’s news stand out with a focused customer- first narrative that showed how SiFive is ushering in a new era of real choice in custom silicon with the open RISC-V ISA. Within only a few weeks, RPG secured positive coverage about the company’s funding news in multiple Tier 1 business, tech, and trade media outlets. RPG has kept up the momentum by regularly engaging with press to improve SiFive’s share of voice and message pull-through. In addition, RPG activated an ongoing analyst program to help bolster relationships and build continuing brand awareness.
"SiFive and the company’s investors are betting it can shake up the $550 billion semiconductor industry by rethinking its fundamental technologies."
Bloomberg
"RPG is a great extension of our small team and they bring valuable market knowledge and deep media relationships to our strategic communications efforts. They have been instrumental in helping drive excitement and momentum for the SiFive brand and greater awareness among media, analysts and influencers."
Dave Miller
head of corporate marketing at SiFive
THE SUCCESS
SiFive’s funding garnered it a $2.5B valuation — the first RISC-V unicorn. This sparked a host of national coverage, including Reuters, Bloomberg, and Forbes and more than 223M total impressions. Within a year, SiFive gained design wins with more than 100 customers, including 8 of the top 10 semiconductor companies. RPG also helped SiFive reach the stratosphere with the announcement that its core CPU powered a next-generation High-Performance Spaceflight Computing (HPSC) processor to help propel next-generation planetary and surface missions.
SiFive and RPG partnered to help the brand achieve escape velocity. SiFive is now widely recognized as the leader in the RISC-V ecosystem.
