Codasip · Project

Custom RISC-V Processor IP That Lets Chip Companies Differentiate Their Products

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Every connected device — from a smart sensor to a 5G base station — needs a tiny processor brain inside. Most companies buy the same off-the-shelf brain as everyone else, which means their chips end up big, power-hungry, and identical to competitors. Codasip built a toolkit that lets chipmakers design their own custom processor cores using the open RISC-V standard, so each customer gets a chip brain tailored exactly to their application. Think of it like going from buying suits off the rack to getting them custom-tailored — same price range, but a perfect fit.

By the numbers

EUR 2,499,999

EU scale-up funding received

countries in consortium (CZ, DE)

100%

industry partners in consortium

total project deliverables

SME partners in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Semiconductor companies are stuck licensing the same generic processor IP as their competitors, making it nearly impossible to differentiate their chips on performance, power efficiency, or features. General-purpose processors are oversized and power-hungry for specialized applications like IoT sensors, 5G, and AI edge devices. Companies need custom-tailored processor cores but building them from scratch is prohibitively expensive and slow.

The solution

What was built

Codasip built a broad portfolio of licensable RISC-V processor IP cores ranging from small-footprint, low-gate-count designs for wireless sensors to high-performance, high-frequency cores with advanced DSP capabilities for 5G and AI chips. Project deliverables included FPGA demonstration vehicles, multilingual marketing content (German, French, Chinese), and active participation in industry conferences and alliances (ICCAD, European Processor Initiative, RISC-V Foundation, CHIPS Alliance).

Audience

Who needs this

Fabless semiconductor companies designing IoT or AI edge chips5G infrastructure and baseband chip developersIndustrial sensor manufacturers needing ultra-low-power embedded processorsAutomotive chip designers looking for RISC-V alternatives to legacy architecturesData encryption and security chip companies needing customizable cores

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Semiconductor & chip design

any

Target: Fabless semiconductor companies designing IoT or edge AI chips

If you are a fabless chip company struggling to differentiate your products because you license the same processor IP as your competitors — Codasip developed a portfolio of licensable RISC-V processor cores that can be tailored to your specific application domain. Their cores range from small-footprint, low-gate-count designs for wireless sensors to high-performance cores with advanced DSP capabilities for 5G and AI chips. With EUR 2,499,999 in EU scale-up funding and customers across Europe, Japan, and the US, they have proven commercial traction.

Telecommunications equipment

enterprise

Target: 5G infrastructure and equipment manufacturers

If you are a telecom equipment maker dealing with power efficiency and performance demands in 5G baseband processing — Codasip offers high-frequency RISC-V cores with advanced DSP capabilities specifically suited for 5G chips. Rather than using general-purpose processors that waste power, you can license a core customized to your exact signal processing needs. The company operates across 2 countries with 100% industry consortium and holds a leading position in RISC-V processor IP.

Industrial IoT & sensors

SME

Target: Companies manufacturing smart sensors and connected industrial devices

If you are a sensor manufacturer needing ultra-low-power embedded processors for battery-operated connected devices — Codasip created very small-footprint, low-gate-count RISC-V cores designed for exactly this use case. Instead of over-specifying with a general-purpose chip that drains batteries, you can license a processor core stripped down to only what your sensor application requires. Their FPGA demonstration vehicles let you validate the design before committing to silicon.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does licensing Codasip processor IP cost?

Codasip operates on a standard semiconductor IP licensing model. Specific pricing is not disclosed in the project data, but RISC-V IP licensing is generally more cost-competitive than legacy architectures since there are no instruction set royalties. Contact Codasip directly through codasip.com for pricing.

Can these processor cores be manufactured at industrial scale?

Yes. Codasip's RISC-V cores are licensable IP blocks designed to be integrated into production chips. The company already has customers in global markets including Japan and the US, indicating the IP is production-proven. FPGA demonstration vehicles are available for validation before committing to full silicon production.

What is the IP and licensing situation?

Codasip licenses its proprietary processor IP designs built on the open RISC-V instruction set architecture. While RISC-V itself is royalty-free, Codasip's specific core implementations, design tools, and optimizations are proprietary and licensed commercially. The company holds a leading position in RISC-V processor IP according to the project data.

How mature is this technology — is it ready to deploy?

This is market-ready technology. Codasip already has a broad portfolio of licensable processors, commercial teams operating globally, and paying customers in Europe, Japan, and the US. The SME-2 EU funding instrument specifically targets companies ready to scale existing products.

How easy is it to integrate these cores into existing chip designs?

Codasip's cores are designed as licensable IP blocks that integrate into standard semiconductor design flows. The portfolio covers a broad range — from small-footprint cores for simple sensors to high-performance cores with DSP — so customers can select the right starting point. FPGA demonstration vehicles allow testing integration before final silicon.

What standards and ecosystems does this support?

The cores are based on RISC-V, an open international standard instruction set architecture. Codasip actively participates in the European Processor Initiative, RISC-V Foundation, and CHIPS Alliance at the organizational committee level. This ensures their IP stays aligned with industry direction and interoperability standards.

What kind of ongoing support is available?

Codasip operates with both local and international technical marketing teams across at least 2 countries. They maintain website content in German, French, and Chinese in addition to English, suggesting a global support infrastructure. Based on available project data, detailed support terms would be part of individual licensing agreements.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a lean, fully commercial consortium of 2 SME partners across Czech Republic and Germany — no universities or research institutes involved. The 100% industry ratio and SME-2 funding type confirm this is a market-scaling project, not a research effort. Codasip GMBH in Germany coordinates while the Czech entity (Codasip's original headquarters) provides the core R&D. For a business buyer, this means you are dealing with a commercially-oriented company that has already passed the research phase and is focused on customer acquisition and product deployment across global markets.

How to reach the team

Codasip GMBH (Germany) — contact available through codasip.com or SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction

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Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Need custom RISC-V processor IP for your next chip? SciTransfer can connect you directly with Codasip's licensing team and help evaluate fit for your application.

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