Arm, a global leader in semiconductor design technology, accelerates next-generation IoT innovation through a platform optimized for IoT and edge AI workloads.

Arm announced that it is including the Armv9 edge AI platform in the Arm Flexible Access program.

This expansion supports companies of all ages, from startups to global OEMs, in developing next-generation intelligent edge devices faster and at lower costs, and is considered a significant milestone in accelerating edge AI innovation.

The Armv9 edge AI platform is based on the ultra-efficient Arm Cortex®-A320 CPU and Arm Ethos™-U85 NPU, supporting on-device AI models with over 1 billion parameters.

This platform enhances data protection in edge environments through Armv9 security technologies such as PAC (Pointer Authentication Code), BTI (Branch Target Identification), and MTE (Memory Tagging Extension), and supports various applications such as smart cameras, smart homes, industrial automation, and human-machine interfaces with machine learning optimization features such as SVE2 (Scalable Vector Extension 2).
Arm Flexible Access is a program that enables companies to utilize various Arm technologies, tools, and resources on a prepaid basis or free of charge for startups. With a structure that allows for free design experimentation and iteration, and requires licensing fees only for the technologies used in the final product, it has established itself as a catalyst for innovation.

To date, there have been over 400 tapeouts and more than 300 member companies participating, with more than half targeting embedded and IoT applications. There are also numerous examples of major partners, such as Raspberry Pi, Hailo, and SiMa.ai, implementing groundbreaking edge AI technologies through Arm Flexible Access.

Paul Williamson, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Arm’s IoT business, emphasized, “Next-generation AI computing innovation begins with edge devices that enable intelligence near the point of data generation,” adding, “High-performance computing is key, enabling various use cases such as wearables, smart cameras, connected homes, and robotics.”