NeuPro-M chosen as NPU IP foundation for custom AI silicon program, enabling OS-to-silicon optimization for next-generation intelligent computing devices

ROCKVILLE, Md., July 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ceva, Inc. (NASDAQ:CEVA), the leading licensor of silicon and software IP for the Smart Edge, today announced a landmark AI licensing deal with a major U.S. software and AI platform company for a custom AI silicon program targeting next-generation intelligent computing devices. The agreement extends Ceva's customer base beyond traditional semiconductor companies and device OEMs to include software platform companies that are increasingly designing custom silicon to optimize performance, power and area (PPA) and the overall user experience.

Ceva's NeuPro-M neural processing unit (NPU) has been licensed by a major U.S. software and AI platform company for a custom AI silicon program. NeuPro-M provides scalable AI acceleration for advanced on-device inference, enabling power-efficient execution of generative AI, multimodal AI and other AI workloads in next-generation intelligent computing devices.

"The decision by one of the industry's leading software and AI platform companies to build custom AI silicon on NeuPro-M reflects a broader shift toward AI-first computing architectures," said Amir Panush, Chief Executive Officer of Ceva. "Intelligent devices are increasingly expected to sense, reason and act locally, driving demand for AI acceleration that delivers high performance within strict power and thermal constraints. As AI workloads become increasingly distributed across cloud and edge devices, platform companies are optimizing the entire stack, from silicon and software frameworks to operating system integration and user experience. We view this as one of the most strategically significant AI licensing agreements in Ceva's history, reflecting the growing role of AI acceleration in shaping the future of computing."

Leading technology platform companies increasingly recognize that custom AI silicon is essential to optimize performance, power efficiency and full-stack control at scale. For companies that own both the operating system and the hardware platform, co-designing silicon and software creates a decisive advantage: tighter OS-to-silicon optimization enables greater performance and power efficiency that off-the-shelf processors cannot deliver, particularly in portable edge computing devices where thermal and battery constraints are unforgiving. Just as CPUs defined general-purpose computing and GPUs accelerated graphics and parallel workloads, AI acceleration is emerging as a third foundational layer of the computing stack, driving a new generation of custom inference silicon and positioning NPUs as a core architectural element of future intelligent computing platforms.

The customer selected NeuPro-M to provide scalable, power-efficient AI acceleration for advanced on-device inference workloads. The architecture enables efficient execution of generative AI, multimodal AI, emerging agentic AI workloads and other machine learning applications while operating within the power, area and thermal constraints of intelligent edge computing devices. NeuPro-M enables customers to integrate advanced AI capabilities directly into custom silicon architectures, providing the flexibility to co-optimize performance, power efficiency and user experience across the full hardware and software stack. As part of the program, Ceva collaborated closely with the customer to implement advanced neural network optimizations tailored to its target AI workloads, further improving inference efficiency and performance.

About NeuPro

Ceva's NeuPro family of AI NPUs delivers scalable AI acceleration from ultra-low-power embedded devices to advanced intelligent computing platforms. Together with Ceva's industry-leading wireless connectivity, sensing and AI technologies, NeuPro forms a core pillar of the company's Physical AI strategy, enabling devices that Connect, Sense and Infer. Today, more than 2 billion devices incorporating Ceva technologies ship annually across consumer electronics, automotive, industrial IoT and mobile markets, with NeuPro licensing momentum continuing to expand across consumer, industrial, automotive, infrastructure and computing applications.

NeuPro-M IP is available for licensing. For more information, visit https://www.ceva-ip.com/product/ceva-neupro-m/.

About Ceva, Inc.

Ceva powers the Smart Edge, bridging the digital and physical worlds to bring AI-driven products to life. Our Ceva AI fabric portfolio of silicon and software IP enables devices to Connect, Sense, and Infer – the essential capabilities for the intelligent edge. From 5G, cellular IoT, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and UWB connectivity to scalable Edge AI NPUs, AI DSPs, sensor fusion processors and embedded software, Ceva provides the foundational IP for devices that connect, understand their environment, and act in real time.

With more than 21 billion devices shipped and trusted by 400+ customers worldwide, Ceva is the backbone of today's most advanced smart edge products - from AI-infused wearables and IoT devices to autonomous vehicles and 5G infrastructure. Our differentiated solutions deliver seamless integration into existing design flows, total flexibility to combine solutions based on design needs and ultra–low–power performance in minimal silicon footprint, helping customers accelerate development, reduce risk, and bring innovative products to market faster. As technology evolves toward Physical AI, Ceva's IP portfolio lays the foundation for systems that are always connected, contextually aware, and capable of intelligent, real-time decision-making.

Visit us at www.ceva-ip.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

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SOURCE Ceva, Inc.