Ambiq Micro Files for IPO, Highlighting AI-Driven Demand for Energy-Efficient Chips

Energy-Efficient Chipmaker Ambiq Micro Files for US IPO

Ambiq Micro Inc., a maker of ultra-low power semiconductors, has filed for an initial public offering as tech companies try to address the power consumption challenges posed by artificial intelligence computing. The Austin-based company's chips are used in personal devices like fitness trackers, and industrial applications such as crop monitoring, according to a Thursday filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. It had a net loss of $8.3 million on revenue of $15.7 million in the three months ended March 31, the filing said.

Low-power chip supplier Ambiq Micro files to go public - SiliconANGLE

Ambiq Micro Inc., a company that makes power-efficient processors for connected devices, today filed to go public. The chipmaker didn't disclose how much capital it hopes to raise or at what valuation. Ambiq plans to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "AMBQ." In its IPO filing, the company disclosed that it lost $50.3 million on sales of $65.5 million in 2023. Ambiq's loss narrowed to $39.7 million last year while revenue rose about 16% to $76.1. The company generated that revenue by shipping more than 42 million of its low-power chips to connected device makers. Ambiq's flagship product series is a family of systems-on-chip, or SOCs, called Apollo. The processors can be found in factory equipment, medical devices, wearables and a wide range of other devices. Ambiq ships the chips with development tools that help hardware makers build software for their Apollo-powered products. The newest addition to the company's chip line, the Apollo510, debuted last year. It features a central processing unit based on an Arm Holdings plc design and an artificial intelligence accelerator. There are also circuits optimized for cybersecurity tasks such as encrypting data. The Apollo chip series is powered by a power management technology called SPOT. According to Ambiq, it enables chips to operate using five times less electricity than would usually be possible. A processor performs calculations by turning its transistors on and off. To turn on a transistor, most chips run a current through it in the 0.8 to 1.2 volt range. In theory, transistors can be activated using half as much electricity or less. However, most chipmakers don't take that route because it's difficult to implement and complicates the processor manufacturing workflow. Ambiq says that SPOT overcomes those challenges. The technology allows the company's chips to turn on their transistors using a fraction of the power usually needed for the task, which boosts energy efficiency. Ambiq plans to invest the proceeds from its IPO in product development. As part of the initiative, the company will bring SPOT to more chips beyond the Apollo SoC family. Ambiq sees an opportunity to integrate the technology into power management chips, network processors and a range of other products.

Ambiq Micro files for US IPO as generative AI fuels chip demand - The Economic Times

Strong investor demand for AI-focused tech stocks is helping revive the IPO market, as investors warm again to high-growth tech startups they had largely avoided for nearly three years. The Austin, Texas-based company disclosed a net loss of $39.7 million in 2024, narrowing from a loss of $50.3 million in the previous year. Chip designer Ambiq Micro on Thursday reported a 16.1% rise in 2024 net sales in its filing for a U.S. initial public offering, as growing demand for generative AI fuels spending on semiconductor technology. Strong investor demand for AI-focused tech stocks is helping revive the IPO market, as investors warm again to high-growth tech startups they had largely avoided for nearly three years. The Austin, Texas-based company disclosed a net loss of $39.7 million in 2024, narrowing from a loss of $50.3 million in the previous year. Net sales climbed 16.1% to $76.1 million in 2024. "Even though the company has had strong sales growth in the past years with large customers like Google and Huawei, Ambiq is exposed to high customer concentration risk by relying on a few large players," said IPOX research associate Lukas Muehlbauer. Proceeds from the IPO will be used for general corporate purposes, including working capital, sales and marketing activities, and product development. Analysts expect companies tied to the AI boom to drive the next wave of technology listings, fueled by expectations of rapid growth as businesses adopt more generative AI applications. The company said it will list on the NYSE under the symbol "AMBQ", joining a wave of chip design firms that are central to the AI boom, as processors driving the demand for faster and more efficient computing. Founded in 2010, Ambiq Micro provides ultra-low-power semiconductor solutions, targeting the power consumption challenges of general-purpose and AI computing. Ambiq Micro is targeting "AI at the edge" niche with its ultra-low-power chips said to cut power use by 2-5 times, giving it an edge in fast-growing wearables market, said Muehlbauer. Most AI computing uses vast amounts of electricity, driving demand for energy-efficient chips and a shift towards lower-power designs. BofA Securities and UBS are the lead underwriters for the offering.