NXP agrees to acquire edge AI pioneer Kinara
NXP Semiconductors has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Kinara, Inc., a provider of high performance, energy-efficient and programmable discrete neural processing units (NPUs).
These devices enable a range of edge AI applications, including multi-modal generative AI models. The acquisition will be an all-cash transaction valued at USD 307 million and is expected to close in the first half of 2025.
The future of intelligent systems will require secure, cost-effective and energy-efficient AI processing at the edge. As a result, the edge AI processing market is growing rapidly.
Kinara’s innovative NPUs and comprehensive software enablement deliver energy-efficient AI performance across a range of neural networks, including conventional AI, as well as generative AI, to address the rapidly growing AI needs of industrial and automotive markets. The acquisition will enhance and strengthen NXP’s ability to provide complete and scalable AI platforms, from TinyML to generative AI, by bringing discrete NPUs and AI software to NXP’s portfolio.
"The industrial market is going through a transformation, with new innovations like generative AI helping to deliver major improvements in efficiency, sustainability, safety and predictability, and in many instances, unlock new use cases and functionality. Adding Kinara’s AI capabilities to our broad intelligent edge portfolio creates a scalable platform for new classes of AI-powered systems. Together, we can help our customers simplify complexity and accelerate time to market as they create transformative AI systems," says Rafael Sotomayor, executive vice president and general manager, Secure Connected Edge, NXP Semiconductors Advancing Edge AI Innovation with Kinara Discrete NPUs, in a press release
