SEMIFIVE Posts Record Q1 Revenue as Global AI ASIC Demand Accelerates
Strong growth in advanced-node AI chip development, mass production orders and IP licensing positions the company for sustained expansion across North America and Japan.
SEMIFIVE, a leading global provider of custom AI semiconductor (ASIC) solutions, announced record-breaking revenue and new orders for the first quarter of this year, marking the beginning of an accelerated growth phase.
According to the regulatory filing released on May 15, SEMIFIVE recorded consolidated revenue of KRW 47.9 billion and new orders of KRW 55.4 billion for Q1 2026. Revenue increased by 137% compared to the same period last year (KRW 20.2 billion), marking the highest quarterly performance in the company's history.
This achievement was driven by simultaneous growth across the company's three core business segments: ASIC development services, mass production supply, and Intellectual Property (IP). Previously accumulated design projects are now generating mass production revenue, enabling a virtuous growth cycle that is driving both qualitative and quantitative expansion.
ASIC Development: Global Order Expansion Centred on North America and Japan, and Revenue Growth from Advanced Process Nodes
The ASIC development segment spearheaded overall growth with KRW 28.0 billion in revenue, surpassing a 2.6-fold increase year over year. The strategic expansion into North America and Japan in 2025 has begun to yield meaningful results, with overseas revenue now accounting for over 60% of total development sales. This is a dramatic shift from Q1 2025, which focused on the domestic market.
Alongside this growth, SEMIFIVE is accelerating its transition toward a high-margin business model. By increasing the proportion of advanced 2nm and 4nm process node projects for data centre AI ASICs, the company has strengthened its profitability. Simultaneously, its 5nm and 8nm portfolio for edge AI and devices offers strong manufacturability, creating a balanced growth model that combines technical leadership with business resilience.
Mass Production: Commercialisation of Large-Scale Projects and Reaching 74% of Last Year's Total Orders in Q1
The mass production segment has entered a phase of significant expansion, driven by the continuous shipment of products across various applications, including data centre AI, edge AI, and vision AI.
A noteworthy highlight is the rapid growth in new mass production purchase orders (POs). In Q1 alone, SEMIFIVE secured new orders amounting to 74% of the total volume recorded for the entire previous year.
This achievement demonstrates that the large-scale development projects initiated since the company's founding have successfully entered the commercialisation stage, securing tangible revenue visibility. Furthermore, as current overseas projects transition to mass production and the follow-up pipeline expands as planned, the company is projected to maintain a steady growth trend moving forward.
IP: Sustained Growth Driven by Shift to Advanced Process IPs
Revenue in the IP segment nearly doubled compared to the same period last year. This growth is attributed to strong global demand for low-power mixed-signal IP from subsidiary Analogue Bits, which has become an essential component in high-performance AI ASIC design. The robust performance this quarter was primarily driven by a surge in IP revenue from advanced 2nm and 3nm process nodes.
Solutions for thermal management and power efficiency improvement have become key competitive advantages in the initial stages of AI chip design. As a result, the adoption of analogue IP is expected to accelerate further, leading to the continuous generation of stable, high-margin performance.
