Raja Koduri is an Indian computer engineer and business executive with extensive experience in computer graphics hardware and architecture. He is known for his significant contributions across major semiconductor companies and his focus on GPU and AI technologies.
Key Highlights of Raja Koduri’s Career and Contributions:
- Early Career & ATI/AMD: Raja Koduri joined S3 Graphics in 1996 and became the director of advanced technology development at ATI Technologies in 2001. After AMD acquired ATI in 2006, he served as Chief Technology Officer for graphics at AMD until 2009. He made key contributions to several generations of GPU architectures from DirectX Ver 3 to Ver 11. He returned to AMD in 2013 as a Vice President in Visual Computing and later became Senior Vice President and Chief Architect of the newly formed Radeon Technologies Group in 2015. In this role, he led the architectural transformation of Radeon Technology Group with Polaris, Vega, and Navi architectures, which were used in PCs, Macs, and game consoles (Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation).
- Apple Inc.: Between his stints at AMD, he worked at Apple Inc., focusing on graphics hardware, which contributed to Apple’s transition to high-resolution Retina displays for its Mac computers.
- Intel: In December 2017, Raja Koduri joined Intel as Chief Architect, Senior Vice President of the Core and Visual Computing Group, and General Manager of edge computing solutions. His focus was on expanding Intel’s integrated graphics and developing high-end discrete GPUs. He was instrumental in building Intel’s graphics capabilities and bringing new flagship product lines to market.
- Makuta VFX Connection: Raja Koduri is also an investor and advisor at Makuta VFX, the Indian visual effects company that significantly impacted the quality of visual effects in Indian cinema with films like Eega and the Baahubali series. This is where his professional network likely overlaps with Adel Adili, as Adel was also involved with Mihira.ai and Oxmiq labs under Raja Koduri’s supervision.
- Departure from Intel and Current Focus: In March 2023, he announced his departure from Intel’s graphics division. He stated his intention to form a new software company “focused on generative AI for gaming, media and entertainment.”
- Board Membership: Since April 2023, Raja Koduri has joined the Board of Directors at Tenstorrent, a leading AI and RISC-V semiconductor company. He brings his extensive experience in leading graphics and computing architectures across major semiconductor manufacturers to this role.
- Education: He earned a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communications from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, and holds a Master of Technology degree from IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal.
- Family: Noted film director S. S. Rajamouli is his cousin.
Raja Koduri is a highly influential figure in the development of GPU and AI technologies, with a career spanning over 25 years and significant impact across multiple major tech companies.