Silicon Valley-based startup adds new investors Maverick Silicon and Socratic Partners to revolutionize the ‘nervous system’ of intelligent machines
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Jan. 20, 2026 – Ethernovia, Inc., a semiconductor start-up building Ethernet-based, packet processor-centric networking solutions to support the real-time sensor, AI and control data demands of software-defined autonomy across vehicles, robots and intelligent machines, announced the close of a Series B funding round over $90 million led by Maverick Silicon with participation from Socratic Partners, Conduit Capital and CDIB-TEN Capital. The round also included additional funding from Ethernovia’s existing investors including Porsche SE, Qualcomm Ventures and Fall Line Capital.
Ethernovia is developing a new class of high-performance automotive and edge packet processors designed to serve as the data backbone for next-generation physical AI systems. Built specifically to handle massive volumes of real-time sensor and AI traffic, Ethernovia’s packet processor platform enables a unified, Ethernet-based architecture that can deterministically move, process and orchestrate data at the edge.
“The industry is entering the era of physical AI—where intelligence must sense, reason and act in the real world with predictable, real-time performance,” said Ramin Shirani, Ethernovia CEO and co-founder. “Legacy in-vehicle and industrial networks were never designed for AI-driven workloads. However, our packet processor platform is purpose-built to eliminate these constraints, enabling zonal and centralized architectures that scale autonomy and dramatically simplify vehicle system design.”
At the core of Ethernovia’s platform is a family of first-of-their-kind packet processors engineered to aggregate, route and intelligently manage high-bandwidth sensor, vision and AI data streams with deterministic latency and industry-leading power efficiency. These processors provide the real-time data fabric required for autonomous driving, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), robotic perception and control, and emerging AI-defined features—while reducing complexity, system weight and cost.
Designed from the ground up for edge and physical AI workloads, Ethernovia’s packet processors support programmable data paths and scalable Ethernet architectures that span vehicles, robots and mobility systems. This flexibility allows OEMs and system developers to deploy software-defined platforms that continuously evolve through over-the-air updates while maintaining safety-critical performance.
“We are thrilled to be leading Ethernovia’s Series B round,” said Kenneth Safar, managing director of Maverick Silicon. “As autonomous systems become more complex, latency, power efficiency and architectural flexibility are no longer optional—they are essential. Ethernovia has fundamentally reimagined the nervous system of intelligent machines with its packet processing platform, solving a critical networking bottleneck in automotive, robotics and industrial AI.”
“Ethernovia is addressing one of the most important infrastructure challenges facing physical and edge AI today,” said Rick Clemmer, founding partner at Socratic Partners. “They enable OEMs to simplify system design while supporting scalable, software-defined platforms that can evolve over time. We see a strong demand across automotive, robotics and industrial markets – and this investment reflects our confidence in the company’s ability to become an important technology provider in the space.”
The company will use the new funding to accelerate development and production of its next-generation packet processor family; expand software and systems capabilities that enable flexible, programmable networking; and support customer engagements across automotive, robotics and industrial markets.
Additional Product Information
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About Ethernovia
Ethernovia is developing the future of Ethernet-based networks to realize the full potential of software-defined and autonomous vehicles, robotics and other intelligent machines. The company’s breakthrough data transport and acceleration technology is ushering in a new era of connectivity and capabilities in the vehicle and at the edge, including highly reliable autonomy, over-the-air servicing and AI-backed applications. To learn more, please visit www.ethernovia.com and follow Ethernovia on LinkedIn.
About Maverick Silicon
Maverick Silicon is a division of Maverick Capital focused exclusively on the semiconductor and computing infrastructure sector. Maverick Capital is an investment adviser founded by Lee S. Ainslie III with over thirty years of operating history.
About Socratic Partners
Socratic Partners is an investment firm focused on semiconductor, compute, and infrastructure technologies that underpin the modern digital economy. The firm partners with founders building critical technologies across the semiconductor value chain and works closely with portfolio companies to support product development, commercialization, and long-term growth. Socratic Partners is an affiliate of the Raptor Group.
