Cybersecurity firm Fortinet announced on Tuesday that it will utilize Intel Foundry Services to manufacture its next-generation security chips.

This marks the first publicly disclosed major enterprise client for Intel's foundry business since CEO Lip-Bu Tan took the helm in March 2025. The announcement represents a significant step forward for the division under his leadership.

A Landmark Deal for the Foundry Unit

Intel has been actively pursuing major, high-profile foundry clients. The company has now successfully secured Fortinet, a key player in the cybersecurity sector, as a customer.

In a joint announcement on Tuesday, the two companies stated that Fortinet will rely on Intel's foundry operations for the volume production of its new security chips. An Intel representative confirmed that Fortinet's SP6 chip will be manufactured using the Intel 4 process node.

The Ongoing Search for Anchor Customers

In a regulatory filing from April, Intel indicated it was still working to secure a "marquee customer" for its most advanced process technologies. The company is making substantial capital investments to build new fabrication plants both in the U.S. and abroad, and securing large customer orders is crucial to justify this significant expenditure.

Intel's leading-edge processes for general-purpose processors are the 18A and 14A nodes. The Intel 4 node is a more mature technology, less advanced, and primarily targeted at chips with relatively lower complexity, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for networking.

Building Confidence in the Foundry Business

In a May interview, CEO Lip-Bu Tan mentioned that several customers were already collaborating with Intel Foundry Services, though he maintained a policy of not disclosing their names. Announcing a major client is expected to boost confidence among chip designers and investors, demonstrating Intel's capability for large-scale production of advanced chips.

To date, Intel's largest confirmed foundry customer remains Intel itself. The U.S. government has also contracted the company to produce defense-related chips. Under previous CEO Pat Gelsinger, Microsoft announced a partnership in 2024 for Intel to produce an unspecified processor, and Amazon stated it would use Intel to manufacture its in-house AI chips, though the projected volumes for these deals were relatively limited.

Recent Strategic Partnerships and Developments

In April of this year, Intel announced a collaboration with Google to co-design an infrastructure processing unit (IPU). Intel is also assisting Elon Musk's Tesla and SpaceX in building a chip factory named Terafab. In June, former President Trump claimed that Apple would use Intel to produce chips in the U.S., but neither company has officially confirmed such an arrangement. The U.S. government's acquisition of a 10% stake in Intel in August of last year triggered a significant stock rally, with shares gaining over 300% in the past year.

Intel is scheduled to report its second-quarter earnings after the U.S. market closes on Thursday.

Significance of the Fortinet Win

While Fortinet's industry influence may not match that of Apple, Tesla, or the major hyperscale cloud providers, the cybersecurity sector is experiencing heightened demand driven by AI proliferation. Fortinet's stock price has doubled this year, and the company stated in its latest earnings call in May that it would continue investing in ASIC technology development.