SEMIFIVE to Develop Robotics AI Chip for Mobilint Under Korea-Funded ASIC Program

SEMIFIVE will develop an AI semiconductor for robotics applications under a turnkey contract signed with South Korean AI chip company Mobilint, the custom ASIC solutions provider announced from Seoul on Oct. 1, 2026. The agreement places SEMIFIVE inside a government-backed commercialization initiative and extends the company's business beyond its established data center and edge AI markets.

Korean Government Program Funds Industry-Specific Chip Development

The project is being carried out under the "K-On-Device AI Semiconductor Technology Development" program, led by Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR). The government-funded initiative supports collaboration between domestic AI semiconductor companies and end-user companies, with the aim of developing and validating chips tailored to industry-specific products and carrying them through to commercialization.

The two companies said they expect the collaboration to contribute to building a homegrown AI semiconductor ecosystem in Korea, while securing an early lead in next-generation robotics platforms and creating new markets.

On-Device Compute for Disconnected Outdoor Settings

The chip is intended to perform high-performance AI computation entirely on its own, without relying on external servers, even in outdoor environments where connectivity is limited. According to the announcement, the custom silicon will be deployed in applications such as agricultural robots, where it must process vision and sensor data in real time across diverse operating conditions.

To achieve this, the design will incorporate a set of next-generation technologies: LPDDR6, described by the company as the latest low-power DRAM standard; PCIe Gen6, a high-speed interface; and UCIe-S, or Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express, Standard Package, which connects multiple function-specific chiplets at high speed within a single package so they operate as a single monolithic die. SEMIFIVE stated that these technologies will enable the chip to deliver both high power efficiency and operational stability without data bottlenecks, even in outdoor settings with limited network coverage.

From Specifications Straight to Mass Production

The engagement follows SEMIFIVE's "Spec Hand-off" model, which the company describes as the earliest-stage offering within its turnkey business. In conventional approaches, customers complete a substantial portion of the design before handing off downstream processes.

Under Spec Hand-off, customers define only their key performance targets and specifications, and SEMIFIVE delivers integrated services across the entire process, from detailed design to packaging, testing, and mass production. The announcement characterizes this end-to-end approach as a way to accelerate commercialization of the robotics AI chip.

Physical AI Broadens the ASIC Provider's Portfolio

For SEMIFIVE, the contract represents an expansion into what the company calls Physical AI, extending its applications beyond data center, high-performance computing (HPC) and edge AI and diversifying its business portfolio.

Brandon Cho, CEO and co-founder of SEMIFIVE, described the agreement as a significant point for the company. "This contract marks a pivotal moment for SEMIFIVE as we extend our proven, end-to-end ASIC capabilities from data center and edge AI into the realm of robotics AI," Cho said. "As a leader in custom semiconductors, we will continue to expand our technological footprint and influence across advanced industries."

Recent Deals and a Samsung 4nm Ramp

The announcement also highlighted other recent developments at SEMIFIVE. The company signed a contract worth approximately USD 52 million for an AI accelerator with a U.S. fabless company, a deal SEMIFIVE says validates its end-to-end ASIC model in North America.

Separately, SEMIFIVE has begun mass production of the LLM AI inference accelerator "Bertha" for HyperAccel on Samsung 4nm, a data center chip the company says is generating growth momentum. SEMIFIVE describes itself as a leading global provider of custom AI semiconductor (ASIC) solutions. Mobilint is identified in the announcement as a South Korean AI semiconductor company.