Lucid Attracts $8M On Strong Sales Of Multi-GPU Chip

LucidLogix, maker of a chip that allows graphics cards from ATI and Nvidia to be used in tandem, has attracted $8 million in investment, thanks to strong sales of its Hydra 200. Its latest funding round was led by Rho Ventures, Giza Venture Capital, and Genesis Partners, bringing the total investment in the Kfar Netter, Israel-headquartered company to $40 million. Lucid sells its Hydra 200 chip directly to motherboard manufacturers like Taipei-based MSI, which integrate Lucid's technology into their consumer- and enterprise-level boards. PC manufacturers and users can then outfit those computers with multiple discrete graphics cards by competitors ATI and Nvidia, with the Hydra chip managing load balancing between them. Traditionally, multiple-card solutions have required all video cards to use the same chipset. ATI markets that capability as Crossfire; Nvidia as SLI. Neither manufacturer endorses combining its cards with its competitor's, so PC gamers have often found workarounds to force compatibility. Motherboards equipped with Lucid's Hydra 200 have been closely tracked by gamers because they appear to address that issue with an easier, out-of-the-box method. "The confidence level of our investors has come from our ability to successfully launch and deliver our second generation HYDRA 200 product to mass production, which is already on motherboards from one of the top three manufacturers in the world, MSI, and with more partners in the pipeline," said Lucid CEO Moshe Steiner in a statement. "The additional investment will enable the company to expand to international markets and boost sales." Lucent president Offir Remez added that the company is "making the natural transition from a research and development startup to a silicon-product company."