InnoGrit, a start-up advancing storage technology to solve the data storage and transport challenge in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other big data applications, made its formal introduction to the market today and unveiled a portfolio of SSD controller solutions addressing the needs of the data center, enterprise and client markets. Founded in October 2016 by highly respected technology leaders and led by former Marvell CTO, Zining Wu, the fabless integrated circuit (IC) design company delivers high-performance, low power fully turn-key flash-based storage solutions that enable businesses across industries to maximize investments in next-generation applications while reducing their capital and operational expenses.

“The last few years have seen the maturation of multiple next-generation applications that hold great promise for businesses of all sizes, in every market sector. To date, however this great promise hasn’t translated into operational success for many organizations because they lack the data storage and transport capabilities required to properly fuel the applications they’ve deployed,” said Zining Wu, Co-Founder and CEO at InnoGrit. “We started InnoGrit and set out to develop IC and storage systems that can overcome this roadblock once and for all so the true power of AI and various other big data applications can meet their full potential and drive tremendous value for businesses everywhere.”

Since its inception, InnoGrit’s mission has been to unlock the potential of flash storage previously limited by traditional data processing architectures through innovation in system performance, e?ciency, reliability, and security. Today, the company’s flash-based IC and system solutions are enabling a new class of products to consumers, data centers, and enterprises.

Despite making its formal introduction to the market today, InnoGrit is already in mass production with its first chip, Shasta, enabling several of their customers to launch their SSD products. InnoGrit has a seasoned team, putting it in position to capatilize on opportunities presented as more and more businesses adopt next-generation applications.

“Next generation application deployments are barely scratching the surface of their potential benefits for most because businesses continue to overlook the importance of data storage and transport performance to its success,” said Greg Wong, Founder and Principal Analyst at Forward Insights. “InnoGrit””s focus on advancing storage technologies in terms of performance, power consumption, data security and economics, at this critical stage presents an opportunity for customers in the data center, enterprise and client market segments to quickly close the performance gap and increase value for businesses operationalizing these applications.”

Company Announces Portfolio of SSD Controllers for Full Range of Applications

In conjunction with today’s formal company introduction, InnoGrit announced a portfolio of SSD controller solutions – Tacoma, Rainier and the Shasta Family – aimed at various data center and enterprise, and client segments. Innogrit provides a flexible business model from SDK to full turnkey FTK support all the way through reference designs. The Tacoma, Rainier and Shasta SSD controllers are designed with security, power, and performance in mind, and are equipped with advanced LDPC technology, end to end data protection and support for all the key security standards. In addition, InnoGrit’s SSD controllers provide industry-leading performance and low power capabilities to deliver increased value while reducing costs. Full specifications for the new SSD controllers are as outlined below:

Tacoma (IG5668)
Tacoma is an industry first 16/12nm FinFET high-end data center and enterprise SSD controller with PCIe Gen 4×4 interface, NVMe 1.4, 16 NAND channels and up to 32TB capacity. Tacoma can reach up to 7 GB/s sequential read and 6.1 sequential write and more than 1.5 million IOPs random read performance. Optimized for low latency storage class memory (SCM), Tacoma is able to achieve 10us read latency for intensive I/O applications when combined with Toshiba Memory’s low latency XL-FLASH?. Tacoma features atomic write and in-storage computation with a deep learning accelerator for optimized system performance. Additionally, Tacoma supports both conventional and Open Channel SSD models to enable customers to fit different deployment scenarios based on their applications. Featured with Innogrit’s proprietary error correction code (ECC) technology, Tacoma ensures data integrity by end-to-end data protection and enhances data reliability throughout the SSD lifespan. Tacoma is offered in the small 17x17mm BGA package and can support M.2, U.2, and EDSFF form factors.

Rainier (IG5236)
Rainier is an industry-leading NVMe controller with PCIe Gen 4×4 interface and NVMe1.4 standard. Rainier utilizes 8 NAND channels and is built with the highest security and data protection in mind to support high-end client and data center solutions. Rainier can reach 7 GB/s sequential read and 6.1 GB/s sequential write and more than 1 million IOPs random read performance. Leveraging Innogrit’s proprietary ECC technology, Rainier enhances the data endurance and retention to deliver better reliability and ultra-high performance SSD solutions. Rainier provides a comprehensive data protection scheme through SRAM ECC and end- to-end data path protection. Rainier supports all major 2D and 3D flash memories at the maximum capacity of 16TB.

The Shasta Family (Shasta – IG5208 & Shasta+ – IG5216)
Shasta (IG5208) is an industry-leading NVMe controller for M.2 and BGA SSD form factors. Utilizing the PCIe Gen3x2 interface and NVMe1.3 standard, Shasta features a DRAM-less architecture with full support of the Host Memory Buffer (HMB) function. Shasta delivers up to 1750 MB/s sequential read and 1500 MB/s sequential write and 250K IOPs random read performance without the cost burden of expensive DRAM in an SSD. Shasta is available in capacities up to 2TB and supports SLC, MLC, TLC, and QLC flash. Equipped with end-to-end data protection, low power capability and its small form factor, Shasta is ideal for IoT and consumer electronics without the complicated thermal solutions.

Shasta+ (IG5216) is the next-generation controller in the Shasta family offering a significant performance upgrade via a PCIe Gen3x4 NVMe interface, delivering up to 3.2GB/s sequential read and 2.5GB/s sequentional write and up to 500K IOPS random read performance. Similar to Shasta, Shasta+ is available with up to 2TB of capacity and features end-to-end data protection, SRAM with ECC protection, Open Channel support, and other similar features. Shasta+ is targeted at client applications with enhanced QLC performance and flexible packaging support for M.2, U.2, and BGA SSD.

InnoGrit’s new Tacoma, Rainier and Shasta Family of SSD controllers are currently sampling. Businesses interested in finding more information or sampling them should contact InnoGrit at sales@innogritcorp.com or visit http://www.innogritcorp.com.

About InnoGrit
Innogrit is a fabless IC design company founded in October of 2016 by highly respected technology leaders in Silicon Valley. Innogrit’s high-performance, low power full turn-key SSD controller solutions enable businesses across industries to maximize their investments in next-generation applications while reducing capital and operational expense. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif, InnoGrit is focused on advancing storage technology to solve the data storage and data transport problem in arti?cial intelligence and other big data applications through innovative integrated circuit (IC) and system solutions. For more information, please visit http://www.innogritcorp.com.