Arm Democratizes On-Device AI: Armv9 Now Available via Flexible Access

Arm has taken a decisive step toward democratizing edge AI development by expanding its Flexible Access program to include the Armv9 platform, offering startups and OEMs low-cost entry to advanced on-device AI capabilities.

A New Era of Accessible AI

The announcement marks a strategic shift in how AI hardware is licensed and deployed. Armv9, the company’s latest architecture, is now available through Flexible Access—a licensing model that allows developers to explore, prototype, and design with Arm IP before committing to full commercial terms.
This expansion includes the Arm Cortex-A320 CPU and the Arm Ethos-U85 NPU, a pairing designed to deliver high-performance AI inference for billion-parameter models while maintaining energy efficiency. The Cortex-A320 will be available in Flexible Access starting November 2025, with the Ethos-U85 following in early 2026.

Fueling Innovation at the Edge

Flexible Access has already seen over 400 tape-outs and boasts 300+ active partners, ranging from early-stage startups to global OEMs. By adding Armv9 to the mix, Arm is enabling a new wave of intelligent edge devices—from wearables and smart cameras to industrial IoT systems.
“Edge AI is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity,” said Arm’s VP of Product Marketing. “By making Armv9 accessible, we’re empowering innovators to build secure, efficient, and scalable AI solutions without upfront licensing barriers.”

Security Meets Performance

Armv9 introduces robust security features critical for edge deployments, including Pointer Authentication, Branch Target Identification, and Memory Tagging Extension. These architectural enhancements help safeguard devices against runtime attacks and memory corruption, a growing concern in decentralized AI environments.

Strategic Implications

As AI workloads increasingly shift from cloud to edge, Arm’s move positions it as a key enabler of privacy-preserving, low-latency AI. The Flexible Access model also strengthens Arm’s foothold in emerging markets, where cost and agility are paramount.
Industry analysts view this as a competitive play against proprietary chipmakers and cloud-centric AI models. By lowering the barrier to entry, Arm is betting on a future where AI is built into everything—and built by everyone.

Softbank Acquiring Semiconductor Design Startup Ampere Computing in $6.5 Bn All-Cash Deal

SoftBank Group has announced its acquisition of Ampere Computing, a semiconductor design company, in a $6.5 billion all-cash deal. Ampere, known for its ARM-based server chips, will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank while retaining its headquarters in Santa Clara, Californian.

This move aligns with SoftBank's strategy to expand its investments in AI infrastructure. Ampere's expertise in high-performance and energy-efficient computing is expected to bolster SoftBank's capabilities in AI and data center technologies. The deal is anticipated to close in the second half of 2025, pending regulatory approvals.

SoftBank's interest in Ampere underscores the increasing demand for advanced chips tailored to AI and machine learning applications. This could accelerate innovation in AI-specific hardware, intensifying competition among semiconductor companies.

Ampere focuses on ARM-based server chips, competing with traditional x86 architecture. This acquisition signals a growing shift toward ARM architecture, particularly in energy-efficient, high-performance data centers.

SoftBank expects the closing of the Transaction to occur in the latter half of 2025. As a result of the Transaction, Ampere will become an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp.

With approximately 1,000 highly skilled semiconductor engineers and its notable technological capabilities, Ampere is expected to play a key role in future growth markets.

The acquisition is aligned with SBG’s broader strategic vision and commitment to driving innovation in AI and compute. Ampere is expected to collaborate with the broader SBG ecosystem, including group companies, investees, and business partners.

With this acquisition, SoftBank gains a foothold in the lucrative data center market and potentially strengthens its ties with AI and cloud service providers. This move aligns with global trends emphasizing edge computing and cloud-native technologies.

This acquisition also indicates market disruption as the entry of a SoftBank-backed Ampere could heighten competition for established players like Intel and AMD, particularly in the server and data center markets.

The deal reflects the ongoing wave of M&A activity in the semiconductor sector, as companies consolidate to tackle rising R&D costs and capitalize on emerging market opportunities.

In short, this acquisition is poised to reshape the dynamics of the semiconductor landscape, with a particular emphasis on ARM-based architectures and AI-driven innovation.

HCLTech and Arm Collaborate on Custom Silicon Chips That Support AI-driven Business Operations

HCLTech and Arm, the global semiconductor design and software platform company, have announced a collaboration to develop custom silicon chips optimized for AI workloads. This partnership is set to bring to market solutions that will enable semiconductor manufacturers, system OEMs, and cloud service providers to enhance the computing efficiency of their data center environments and meet evolving customer demands. 

The collaboration will leverage Arm's Neoverse Compute Subsystems (CSS) to help clients minimize development risks and swiftly deliver innovative, market-customized solutions geared toward improved performance and scalability for AI workloads. HCLTech has been granted preferential access to Neoverse CSS as a member of Arm Total Design, an ecosystem designed to accelerate the delivery of Arm-based custom silicon chips. 

This strategic partnership is expected to drive technology advancement and innovation in the semiconductor industry, particularly in the development of industry-leading custom AI silicon solutions that will revolutionize the way AI workloads are managed in data center environments¹. For more detailed information, you can view the full press release on HCLTech's official website.

"HCLTech’s collaboration with Arm will contribute to the development of industry-leading custom AI silicon solutions that will revolutionize the way AI workloads are addressed in data center environments. Together, we look forward to spearheading technology advancement and innovation in the semiconductor industry," said Ameer Saithu, Executive Vice President, Engineering and R&D Services, HCLTech.

“Through Arm Total Design, our partners can leverage the expertise and support of other industry leaders to bring custom silicon solutions to market faster. HCLTech is a welcome addition to the ecosystem, and we are excited to see how they leverage their custom AI silicon capabilities and Arm Neoverse CSS to innovate next-generation solutions,” said Guru Ganesean, President of Arm India.

Earlier in this month, Tata Elxsi collaborated with Arm, the global semiconductor design and software platform company, to offer advanced solutions on the latest Arm® processors, which will help Automotive OEMs and Tier-1s fast track their transition to software-defined vehicles (SDVs).

Last year in July, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) announced collaboration with Arm, to broaden the support under the Design Linked Incentive Scheme (DLI) and boost the growth of the semiconductor market in India.

Tata Elxsi Collaborates with Arm to Accelerate the Software-Defined Vehicle Journey for OEMs

Tata Elxsi has collaborated with Arm, the global semiconductor design and software platform company, to offer advanced solutions on the latest Arm® processors, which will help Automotive OEMs and Tier-1s fast track their transition to software-defined vehicles (SDVs).

Automotive architectures are evolving from a distributed and domain-based paradigm to SDV, which includes the use of high-performance computing (HPC). This evolution requires a strategic shift in software development, validation, and deployment philosophies.

To recall, last month Tata Technologies inked an agreement, with BMW Group, to form a Joint Venture (JV) that will focus on strategic software development, including solutions for software-defined vehicles (SDV).

Going back to the Tata-Arm collaboration, Tata Elxsi brings its extensive portfolio of SDV solutions through Tata Elxsi AVENIR, a SOAFEE-based software suite that enables the development, integration, building, testing, and deployment of applications entirely on the cloud with ease for OEMs and suppliers.

By collaborating with Arm, Tata Elxsi will make this software suite available on the latest Arm® Automotive Enhanced (AE) technology that will power the high-performance requirements of next-generation vehicles.

Tata Elxsi AVENIR includes a cloud-native development and validation environment, that enables seamless collaboration to develop and validate SDV functionalities, a Connected Digital Twin Framework, which enables easier adoption and management of digital twins and a pre-integrated subscription management software. This allows end users to subscribe to automotive features on demand.

“The automotive industry is being transformed by a massive increase in software and AI that demands more computing within the efficiency and safety constraints of the vehicle,” said Suraj Gajendra, vice president of products and solutions, Automotive Line of Business, Arm. “By bringing together its SDV solutions with Arm’s latest AE technology, Tata Elxsi is leveraging Arm’s efficient performance and safety leadership to accelerate software development cycles for next-generation vehicles.”

“Intelligent vehicles of the future will be powered by SDV, Data and AI, and it is critical that technology companies collaborate to overcome the growing complexities. We are committed to working with Arm to make Tata Elxsi AVENIR available on the latest generation of Arm cores, which will power future HPCs for SDV while fostering innovation and unlocking the benefits of scale.” said Shaju S, Vice President & Head, Transportation Business.

Tata Elxsi AVENIR integrated on Arm processors will provide automakers with a proven and ready-to-integrate SDV framework and modular software components that work seamlessly across Arm-based high-performance computing architectures and chips. This integration accelerates the “shift-left” in SDV development and validation processes, helping drastically cut down time-to-market and development risks.

In automotive software arena, other global companies that made news are — Infosys, which announced the acquisition of in-tech, to enhance its service offerings in the software-defined vehicles (SDVs) domain. Prior to that, and Wipro, which teamed up with General Motors (GM) and global automotive supplier Magna, to develop a B2B sales platform, called SDVerse, for buying and selling automotive software.

Intel and Arm Partner To Support Startups from Concept To Market Stage

Intel and Arm, a British Semiconductor & software design company, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to finalize the Emerging Business Initiative. This collaboration aims to support the startup community by providing intellectual property (IP), manufacturing support, and financial assistance for startups developing devices and servers based on Arm-based system-on-chips (SoCs) and manufactured by Intel Foundry.

This initiative builds on a previous agreement from April 2023, which enabled chip designers to create low-power compute system-on-chips (SoCs) using Intel's 18A process technology. The focus is on fostering innovation and growth in AI and other transformative technologies by making these tools more accessible to startups.

The partnership between Intel and Arm is significant as it combines Intel's manufacturing capabilities with Arm's IP to support the next generation of innovators in the tech industry.

The collaboration between Intel and Arm offers several advantages to startups, particularly in the tech industry, primarily as below –

Access to Cutting-Edge Technology: Startups gain access to Intel's manufacturing capabilities and Arm's extensive IP portfolio, allowing them to develop innovative products with advanced technology.

Intellectual Property and Manufacturing Support: Startups will have access to essential IP from Arm and manufacturing support from Intel Foundry Services.

Financial Assistance: The initiative includes financial support to help startups bring their ideas to life.

Focus on Al and SoCs: The initiative aims to foster innovation in Al and the development of devices and servers based on Arm-based system-on-chips (SoCs), manufactured by Intel.

Reduced Costs: The partnership can significantly reduce the costs associated with chip design and production, making it financially feasible for startups to enter the market.

Faster Development: With access to top-tier resources, startups can speed up their product development cycle, enabling a quicker path from concept to market.

Expertise and Support: Startups can leverage the expertise and support networks of both Intel and Arm, which can be crucial for navigating the complexities of chip development.

Market Expansion: By collaborating with industry leaders, startups can potentially expand their market reach and find new opportunities for growth.

Overall, this initiative is designed to nurture innovation and support the growth of startups by providing them with the tools and resources needed to succeed in the competitive tech landscape.

The goal of the Emerging Business Initiative is to make the building blocks of innovation available to anyone, especially startups, which play a crucial role in bringing transformative technologies like Al to reality.

“Intel Foundry and Arm share the belief that for technology to benefit everyone, the building blocks of innovation must be available to anyone. Startups play a crucial role in bringing the great promise of transformations like AI to reality. The Emerging Business Initiative provides a path for new companies to leverage leading-edge Arm-based SoCs and Intel Foundry’s global manufacturing capabilities to make their ideas real, ” said Stuart Pann, Intel senior vice president and general manager of Foundry Services.

Rene Haas, chief executive officer of Arm, said, “AI growth depends on giant leaps in compute, efficiency and scalability, and our industry must create on-ramps for the startup community to share in these advancements. Our collaboration with Intel Foundry through the Emerging Business Initiative enables the next generation of innovators to bring their ideas to life and define the next waves of breakthrough innovation.”

OpenAI, SoftBank, Arm and Ex-Apple's LoveFrom Coming Together To Create An AI Device

ChatGPT developer, OpenAI, is bringing it's first gadget and that would be a device for Artifical Intelligence (AI). According to the report by Financial Times (FT) , OpenAI is in advanced talks with former Apple designer Sir Jony Ive and SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son to launch a venture to build the “iPhone of artificial intelligence", with over $1 billion financials from the Softbank.

In 2019, the former Apple designer, John Ive, has founded a company called "LoveFrom". OpenAI Chief Altman has tapped Ive to create the OpenAI's first consumer device, according to three people familiar with the plan.

Citing people familiar with the plan, the FT report further revealed that Ive and Altman are aiming to create a device that provides a “more natural and intuitive user experience” to interact with artificial intelligence.

Jony Ive left Apple, in 2019, to cofound a creative agency, LoveFrom, with his friend and long-time collaborator Marc Newson. Based out of San Francisco and London, it is a design company which has many of the employee who are ex-Apple. Being very secretive about its operations, the design company has only taken a handful of clients and only few products have been publicized yet.

Notably, Ive has previously expressed concerns about compulsive behavior related to smartphone usage.

Ive and OpenAI Chief have held brainstorming sessions, along with Masayoshi Son present in some of these sessions, at the LoveFrom's San Francisco studio. The brainstorming talks was about what a new consumer product centred on OpenAI’s technology would look like.

Masayoshi, the SoftBank’s founder and CEO, has pitched in Arm, the semiconductor designing giant, to play the central role. Arm is London-based chip designing giant and SoftBank’s portfolio firm with 90% stake in it. Arm recently went public and oversubscribed by 10 times.

The discussion, said to be very serious, is yet to materialise and could be several months before any venture is formally announced. Any resulting hardware product is likely to take years to bring to market.

Once taking a shape, this would be a milestone in the world of technology, bringing four Disruptors — OpenAI, LoveFrom, Softbank and Arm — on one podium, for one hardware device.

CDAC Partners SoftBank-owned Arm To Support Indian Semiconductor Startups at Every Stage of Prototyping Development

Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) on Saturday announced a collaboration with Arm, a SoftBank-owned leading semiconductor IP Company, to broaden the support under the Design Linked Incentive Scheme (DLI) and boost the growth of the semiconductor market in India.

UK based Arm is a chip design company, which was acquired by Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, in September 2016, in a deal worth £23.4bn. At time of acquisition Arm was listed in London and New York. Arm designs the tech behind processors - commonly known as chips - that power devices from smartphones to game consoles. 

As part of Arm's partnership with CDAC, the Arm® Flexible Access for Startups program, which gives $0 license fee access to a broad portfolio of verified Arm IP, tools and training, is now broadening its qualification criteria to welcome applications from startups that qualify under MEITY’s SemiconIndia futureDESIGN DLI scheme.

Arm Flexible Access for Startups allows early-stage startups to move fast, experiment with ease and design with confidence. The program gives startups access to a broad portfolio of extensively verified IP, tools and training, with a $0 license fee to develop system-on-chip (SoC) prototype. This is backed by industry-leading technical support, an extensive ecosystem and a broad developer base for the best chance of success of participating startups in chosen market.

This program for startups provides low-risk, easy access to industry-proven technology, technical support, an extensive ecosystem, and Arm’s broad developer base so silicon startups can move fast, experiment with ease, and design with confidence.

With Arm Flexible Access, startups building products across all markets have the best chance of success with a fast, low-risk journey to building a working prototype, securing the next round of funding, and instilling confidence in potential investors. Arm Flexible Access for Startups also offers technical support and training to rapidly upskill teams, alongside a choice of experienced Arm Approved Design Partners to bring extra capacity and capability along their journey.

Guru Ganesan, President, Arm India, said, "Innovative silicon startups will drive the future of the semiconductor industry as they develop life-changing new technologies in areas from AI to autonomous vehicles and IoT. We are committed to supporting startups, and through the Arm Flexible Access program, we offer the freedom to experiment, innovate and design, so they can become the technology leaders of tomorrow."

E. Magesh, Director General, CDAC, said, "India has a large and growing pool of designers in semiconductor domain and such offerings from semiconductor ecosystem players like Arm will provide a low cost, low risk opportunity to create innovative designs by young entrepreneurs for import substitution and value addition in the electronics sector."

Under this collaboration, CDAC and Arm intend to work towards the following broad objectives:

• Startups selected under DLI will qualify for the Arm Flexible Access for Startups program.
• Arm will provide the startups with access to processor and system IPs, reference designs, GPU, ISP, and AI accelerator IPs, and software development tools.
• Arm will provide access to thousands of Artisan physical IP products supporting multiple foundries and process nodes for physical design and implementation.

The DLI scheme aims to offer financial incentives as well as design infrastructure support across various stages of development and deployment of semiconductor design(s) for Integrated Circuits (ICs), Chipsets, System on Chips (SoCs), Systems & IP Cores and semiconductor linked design(s) over a period of five years.

The DLI Scheme is implemented by C-DAC. Under the DLI Scheme, ChipIN centre has been setup at C-DAC as one stop centre to provide chip design & fabrication services to supported companies.

Five startups/ MSMEs were earlier approved by MeitY for support under the DLI scheme and announced during the 2nd and 3rd DLI Roadshows held earlier this year in Bangalore (February) and Delhi (May). With this announcement, total 7 start-ups under the DLI Scheme will be working on making chip and IP cores for automotive, mobility and computing sectors.