Arm Holdings said on Monday it is expanding its Flexible Access licensing program to cover its Armv9 edge AI platform, aiming to attract startups and device makers developing on‑device AI by lowering entry barriers and accelerating design cycles.

The Flexible Access program allows companies to use its chip design tools and training for little or no cost, enabling them to build and test new chip concepts.

Companies including hardware firms Raspberry Pi, Hailo and SiMa.ai have participated in the program, Arm said.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Opening up the licensing program strengthens Arm's ties with AI startups and on‑device AI providers that might otherwise be priced out by costly licenses, positioning Arm to embed its technology across emerging AI devices.

CONTEXT

Arm is expanding to fortify its position in the burgeoning edge AI market, where it faces growing competition from rivals such as Nvidia NVDA.O, Intel INTC.O, as well as newer players.

Companies from self-driving vehicle makers to retail inventory software developers are adopting edge AI, which runs artificial‑intelligence models on devices such as smartphones and laptops to process data on the spot rather than sending it to the cloud.

BY THE NUMBERS

Arm said more than 300 companies have joined the program, with 400 chip designs completed and ready for manufacturing. Earlier this month, Qualcomm QCOM.O shifted its flagship chips to Arm's v9 architecture, sources exclusively told Reuters.

MARKET REACTION

Arm's shares rose 3.56% to $171.5 after the news. Up to close, the stock had gained 39% this year.