BrainChip Expands Akida IP Reach with ASICLAND Licensing Deal

Strategic IP Licensing Boosts BrainChip’s Market Footprint

BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX:BRN) has forged a significant IP licensing partnership with South Korean semiconductor design firm ASICLAND Co., Ltd., granting a non-exclusive, worldwide license to its Akida™ neuromorphic AI portfolio. This move allows ASICLAND to embed BrainChip’s neural processing technology into custom system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for a diverse range of end customers, spanning edge AI, industrial, automotive, consumer, and IoT sectors.

The agreement permits ASICLAND to access multiple evaluation licenses, including participation in multi-project wafer (MPW) fabrication runs, facilitating prototype and test chip production. Successful customer engagements can convert these evaluation licenses into commercial production licenses, subject to BrainChip’s approval and additional fees, introducing a recurring royalty revenue stream for BrainChip. While the financial terms remain undisclosed, the company anticipates material revenue generation over time.

Maintaining Control While Enabling Scale

BrainChip retains full ownership of its intellectual property, ensuring control over its Akida technology as it expands its semiconductor ecosystem. The company will provide ASICLAND with comprehensive access to Akida IP, runtime software, reference designs, and AI model examples optimised for the hardware. Optional training and technical support services may be offered under separate agreements, reinforcing BrainChip’s role beyond licensing.

ASICLAND’s role is to develop custom SoC designs with embedded AI capabilities, supporting multiple customer programs in parallel. Each customer engagement is governed by a distinct evaluation license, which can transition to a production license allowing commercial manufacture and sale. Importantly, ASICLAND is prohibited from sublicensing BrainChip’s IP, limiting use strictly to ASICLAND-designed products supplied to end customers.

Expanding Partnerships in a Competitive Landscape

This deal follows BrainChip’s recent licensing arrangement with Korea’s EDGEAI, which granted access to the Akida 2 neuromorphic AI technology for EDGEAI’s semiconductor products, including milestone payments and royalties. Together, these partnerships underline BrainChip’s strategy to broaden Akida’s adoption across Asia and beyond while preserving its IP integrity and royalty model. The ASICLAND agreement complements BrainChip’s ongoing investment in next-generation Akida silicon, including the AKD2500 project on TSMC’s 12nm process, where ASICLAND also provides ASIC design and fabrication services.

CEO Sean Hehir emphasised the strategic value, stating, “Partnering with ASICLAND extends BrainChip’s reach into a broader range of custom silicon programs. ASICLAND’s SoC design capabilities and customer relationships make them a strong partner for accelerating Akida adoption across multiple end markets, while maintaining the integrity of our IP and long-term royalty model.”