Semifive signs $52m deal with unnamed US AI company for inference chip

South Korean ASIC firm Semifive has signed a $52 million agreement with a US-based AI fabless company to develop a next-generation AI inference accelerator. It is Semifive's largest contract to date, about 60 percent of its $88m in new orders in H1 2026. Tape-out is expected in H1 2027, with mass production in 2028.

• $52m contract is Semifive's largest to date
• Represents 60% of its $88m in new H1 2026 orders
• Chip will use LPDDR6 and PCIe Gen5, tape-out in H1 2027
• Mass production in 2028, targeting hyperscalers and CSPs