Grenoble, July 28th, 2026 – Bull, a leader in advanced computing and artificial intelligence, and Kalray (Euronext Growth Paris: ALKAL), a specialist in hardware and software technologies for high-performance computing and data infrastructure, announce a strategic partnership focused on networking technologies for AI and HPC infrastructures. The two companies will also collaborate on Ultra Ethernet compatibility, a new open standard that has the potential to shape networking for future generations of supercomputers, AI factories, and large-scale cloud infrastructure1. Together, the companies aim to accelerate innovation in AI networking and deliver next-generation solutions that address the performance, scalability, and efficiency requirements of the world's most demanding computing environments.
A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP DESIGNED FOR THE FUTURE OF AI AND HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING
The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, fueled by massive data flows and increasingly distributed computing architectures, is driving demand for network infrastructures that are faster, more scalable, and more cost-effective.
As enterprises, cloud service providers, research organizations, and AI innovators scale their deployments, networking has become a critical enabler of AI performance. Modern AI infrastructure requires high-throughput, low-latency interconnect technologies capable of supporting increasingly complex workloads while optimizing operational efficiency and total cost of ownership.
By combining Bull's expertise in advanced computing platforms with Kalray's innovative networking and data processing technologies, the partnership aims to deliver solutions that help customers accelerate AI deployments, maximize infrastructure utilization, and support future growth with confidence.
Emmanuel Le Roux, CEO of Bull, stated:
"The development of new interconnect solutions represents a strategic milestone in meeting the needs of future generations of supercomputers and AI infrastructures. The collaboration we’ve signed with Kalray enables us to develop advanced technologies—particularly for the cloud and AI—and to build high-performance solutions, all while
contributing to a strong European drive toward technological sovereignty. In a sector largely dominated by non-
European technologies, we are particularly proud to offer a European alternative by producing a chip that incorporates the most advanced technological innovations available today."
Éric Baissus, Chairman of Kalray's Management Board, stated:
"This agreement with Bull further validates the strength of our technology vision and the innovations developed by our teams. As AI continues to reshape infrastructure requirements across industries, we are excited to provide technologies that enable higher performance, greater flexibility, and improved efficiency. Together with Bull, we aim to build solutions that enable the next generation of AI and HPC deployments and create long-term value for customers worldwide."
A STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP COMBINING LICENSING AND CO-DEVELOPMENT
The partnership focuses on developing interconnect solutions for very large-scale AI and high-performance computing infrastructures, with a major evolution designed to fully address cloud-native and AI-centric requirements.
For Kalray, the agreement is part of its strategy to leverage its semiconductor technologies through its business model combining IP licensing, co-development, and services.
As part of this effort, Kalray will licence its software and hardware technologies, developed over more than a decade, as well as its expertise in advanced data-processing architectures.
Kalray will supply and integrate its advanced IP blocks, including the Kalray Networking Engine subsystem, enhanced to support performance of up to 1.6 Tbps and powered by 64 next-generation KV5 cores compatible with the RISC-V standard. The first solutions resulting from this collaboration are expected to become commercially available at scale in 2028.
ACCELERATING THE EVOLUTION OF AI NETWORKING
For Bull, this partnership is expected to accelerate the evolution of its BXI networking technology to meet the requirements of future AI infrastructures by combining performance, openness, and flexibility. The resulting innovations are designed to help customers deploy and operate AI and HPC environments more effectively while supporting emerging industry standards.
Specifically, the partnership will contribute to:
- Evolving BXI toward Ethernet-based architectures and the security and virtualization capabilities required by cloud and AI workloads;
- Providing full compatibility with the Ultra Ethernet standard, which is rapidly gaining industry support;
- Delivering a unique hybrid approach for HPC and AI workloads, enabling customers to benefit from ultra-low latency and advanced congestion management for HPC applications while also leveraging Ultra Ethernet capabilities for AI environments and virtualized workloads, with bandwidth reaching up to 1.6 Tbps per network card;
- Accelerating innovation through joint technology development, enabling faster product evolution and helping customers remain at the forefront of AI infrastructure performance.
ADVANCING INDUSTRY ADOPTION OF THE ULTRA ETHERNET STANDARD
Beyond this project, Bull, an initiator and founding member of the Ultra Ethernet Consortium (UEC), is working alongside Kalray to help bring the first Ultra Ethernet-compatible products to market.
The Ultra Ethernet standard has gained support from more than 170 major companies and contributors across networking, hyperscale computing, and AI ecosystems. It aims to introduce open, scalable networking technologies designed specifically for the massive infrastructure requirements of modern AI deployments.
As AI data centers continue to expand in scale, open networking standards are becoming increasingly important for ensuring interoperability, accelerating innovation, and enabling customers to avoid infrastructure constraints that could limit future growth.
The agreement between Bull and Kalray includes the joint development of Ultra Ethernet-compatible technology building blocks and their integration into future generations of Bull networking solutions. The resulting technologies will also expand opportunities for OEMs, infrastructure providers, and technology companies seeking to integrate advanced AI networking capabilities into next-generation products and platforms.
ABOUT KALRAY
Kalray (Euronext Growth Paris - FR0010722819 - ALKAL) is a fabless semiconductor company and a leader in a new generation of processors designed for applications handling massive data flows, particularly through artificial intelligence. At the forefront of innovation, Kalray's teams have developed a unique technology, along with associated solutions, enabling its customers to build increasingly intelligent, high-performance, and energy-efficient solutions.
Thanks to their patented “manycore” architecture, Kalray's MPPA® intelligent processors (known as DPUs) are capable of managing multiple data streams in parallel—without bottlenecks—enabling applications that process massive amounts of data to be smarter, more efficient, and more energy-efficient, complementing traditional approaches (CPUs and GPUs). Kalray's offering includes hardware and software acceleration solutions, licenses for the intellectual property modules required to design DPUs, as well as a co-
development—or design-on-demand—service for processors and acceleration solutions optimized for specific applications in high-growth sectors such as data centers, AI Gigafactories, telecoms, aerospace, defense, and many others. www.kalrayinc.com
ABOUT BULL
Leveraging nearly a century of innovations, Bull is a global leader for High-Performance Computing, Artificial Intelligence and Quantum technologies with c.720m€ in revenue and 3,000 professionals operating in 32 countries. Built on an open, end-to-end and trusted approach, Bull designs, deploys and operates hardware, software and strategic services that unlock enterprise value, accelerate scientific research and advance society. Driven by world-class R&D, backed by 1,600 patents, manufacturing excellence and data sciences expertise, Bull enables nations and industries to fully control their AI and data and to drive progress for the benefit of the planet. www.bull.com
1 This agreement was announced in the press release issued by Kalray on July 16th, 2026.
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