[Editor's Note] As autonomous driving technology advances, V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything), which refers to real-time communication between vehicles and between vehicles and infrastructure, is emerging as a core infrastructure. As it establishes itself not merely as an auxiliary technology but as an essential element to complement the limitations of autonomous driving, the related semiconductor market is growing rapidly. Amidst this, Etipos, a domestic company specializing in V2X semiconductors, has been recognized for its technological competitiveness by being officially listed as a key player in the 'V2X Chipset Market' report recently released by the global market research firm IndustryARC. Accordingly, this article examines the V2X market and explores Etipos's technological capabilities.


The V2X chipset market grew more than threefold in about four years, expanding from $520 million in 2021 to $1.85 billion in 2025. This trend is not merely a technological trend, but is closer to a structural change.

This is because the expansion of 5G communication networks has passed a critical point, and governments around the world are accelerating investment in V2X infrastructure as part of traffic safety and smart city policies.

Furthermore, as the perception spreads that it is difficult to ensure safety using only vehicle sensors during the commercialization of Level 3 or higher autonomous driving, the need for V2X, which enables cooperative recognition between vehicles, is growing.

The landscape of technological competition is also rapidly being sorted out.

The DSRC method, which was once a competitor, has effectively been phased out, and C-V2X, which can utilize existing mobile communication infrastructure, appears to be establishing itself as the market standard.

As a result, the V2X market has moved beyond the initial stage of technological competition and entered a phase of full-scale commercialization and market share competition.

The biggest variable in this process is the global semiconductor company Qualcomm.

Qualcomm has set out to expand its market dominance by acquiring Autotalks, a developer of chips dedicated to V2X.

On the other hand, this acquisition simultaneously stimulated antitrust regulations and geopolitical risks in various countries, resulting in the paradox of increasing the need for supply chain diversification.

As automakers and the government intensify their efforts to reduce reliance on a single company, opportunities are opening up for new players.

At this point, the company drawing attention is the domestic startup Etipos.

Founded in 2018, this company has a rare structure of simultaneously developing V2X-dedicated semiconductors and communication equipment, and is approaching the market based on software-defined modem (SDM) technology.


The key is 'Software Defined Modem (SDM)' technology.

Existing V2X equipment had LTE and 5G standards separated at the hardware level, so the entire infrastructure had to be replaced during the generational transition.

On the other hand, Etipos implemented the physical layer of wireless communication in software, creating a structure that allows switching from LTE-V2X to 5G-V2X with only an OTA update.

This approach is a solution targeting structural problems in the market, as it can significantly reduce infrastructure replacement costs.

This technology is also being applied to actual products. Ettifos’s core chipset, ‘ESAC (Ettifos SIRIUS Accelerator Chip)’, is a dedicated ASIC that supports both LTE-V2X and 5G-V2X simultaneously, enabling compliance with next-generation communication standards through software upgrades alone, without the need for hardware replacement.

Beyond simple structural innovation, meaningful results are also being confirmed in terms of performance. The chip recorded ultra-low latency of 1.8 milliseconds and a communication range of over 1.7 km in a test environment, meeting the requirements for real-time data exchange between vehicles.

Furthermore, Etipos does not stop at just 'chips'. It is building an end-to-end V2X platform that includes its own modem IP, protocol stack, RSU (Roadside Unit), and OBU (Operator Unit).

This is a strategy to enter the market as a system rather than supplying individual products, a structure that allows for strength during the initial infrastructure construction phase.

In particular, securing global compatibility is also a key element of technological competitiveness. Etipos has verified interoperability through testing that directly links its modems with Qualcomm chips, and is confirming its applicability in actual service environments through demonstrations with global companies.

These technologies go beyond simple communication and lead to core functions of autonomous driving.

5G V2X can share decision information between vehicles through data transmission of over 100 Mbps and latency of a few milliseconds, thereby enabling '360-degree recognition that goes beyond the limitations of sensors.'

Ultimately, Etipos's competitiveness lies in the 'direction of technology'. The key point is that it accurately identified the shift from a hardware-centric structure to a software-centric structure and implemented this simultaneously across semiconductors, equipment, and platforms.

In particular, the fact that they secured practical case studies by participating in U.S. public infrastructure projects is highly likely to serve as an important reference for future entry into the global market.

Etipos's strategy is also valid in terms of market structure.

The V2X industry is characterized by the demand for infrastructure equipment increasing before the demand for chips in the early stages.

In other words, the structure is such that the demand for automotive semiconductors will only fully materialize once the number of communication devices installed on roads expands.

For this reason, an approach of entering the market with an RSU-centric approach and then expanding into modem chips is considered a reasonable choice in terms of timing.

However, the risks are also clear.

The V2X market still relies heavily on the speed of government infrastructure investment, and national standard differences have not been completely resolved.

In addition, for the startup Etipos, there remains the challenge of verifying large-scale mass production experience and supply stability.

Nevertheless, the major direction of the market is clear.

As autonomous driving advances, vehicles are bound to evolve from 'individual sensors' into 'connected networks.' V2X is at the center of this transformation, and communication semiconductors are at its core.

Ultimately, the winner in the future V2X market will not be the company simply possessing the technology, but the one that accurately reads the infrastructure construction phase and commercialization timing, and secures a position within the supply chain structure.

In that respect, although Etipos is still a small player, it is worth noting as one of the few companies standing on the inflection point of the restructuring of global supply chains.