Samsung Foundry teams up with Dutch AI chip startup Axelera AI to target edge AI market

Samsung Foundry is seeking new business opportunities as the edge AI era takes shape. The rise of edge AI — which processes data without relying on centralized data centers — is driving demand for a new generation of AI accelerators.

Samsung Electronics has highlighted its collaboration with Dutch startup Axelera AI as a flagship example of edge AI partnership. Axelera AI developed its AI processor unit (AIPU), called Europa, using Samsung Foundry's manufacturing capabilities. The partnership reflects the growing payoff of Samsung Electronics' 2024 equity investment in Axelera AI through the Samsung Catalyst Fund.

Samsung Electronics introduced Axelera AI's Europa chip — produced at Samsung Foundry — through a tech blog post Friday. Completed in October last year, Europa is an AI acceleration platform designed for high-performance edge AI inference. Edge AI refers to technology that runs AI workloads on the device itself or through nearby servers, bypassing centralized cloud infrastructure.

Axelera AI is a Dutch AI semiconductor startup founded in 2021. The company provides AI hardware acceleration technology for AI inference applications, including computer vision and generative AI. Its product lineup spans from the first-generation Metis platform through to Europa, with a consistent focus on edge AI solutions.

The Europa chip's key strength lies in its use of digital in-memory computing (D-IMC) technology, which boosts power efficiency by performing calculations directly within the memory, eliminating data bottlenecks. The chip can execute 629 trillion operations per second, enabling it to handle even demanding generative AI workloads. Those capabilities make it suitable for edge servers, robotics, computer vision and in-vehicle infotainment systems.

The Europa chip is manufactured at Samsung Foundry using Samsung Electronics' advanced 5-nanometer FinFET process technology. The FinFET process builds transistors in a three-dimensional structure, dramatically improving performance by allowing greater current flow — enabling both high performance and low power consumption.

That architecture is why the Europa chip can deliver high-performance AI computing at a low power draw of up to 45 watts. Axelera AI and Samsung Foundry began full-scale mass production in the first half of this year.

Samsung Foundry says its open collaborative approach was key to bringing the Europa chip to market successfully. Turning a new platform like Europa from concept to finished product requires close cooperation across the entire ecosystem — from architecture design and manufacturing to chip integration, advanced packaging and software support.

Axelera AI's decision to partner with Samsung Foundry appears tied in part to the investment relationship between the two companies. Samsung Catalyst Fund, the venture capital arm of Samsung Electronics, took an equity stake in Axelera AI in 2024. The fund targets AI infrastructure companies with strong technological capabilities.

Samsung Foundry sees edge AI growth ahead in industrial systems, intelligent cameras and next-generation vehicles. According to market research firm Grand View Research, the global edge AI market was valued at $24.9 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $30 billion this year before climbing to $75 billion by 2030. Samsung Foundry's strategy is to establish itself as a key partner in that market.

Song Tae-joong, senior vice president of Samsung Electronics' foundry business division, said at the Europa chip's launch in October last year that the company was "helping enable next-generation edge AI applications by manufacturing Axelera AI's groundbreaking architecture with competitive 5nm process technology." He added that the collaboration "demonstrates how Korea's semiconductor excellence supports AI innovation in Europe."

Fabrizio Del Maffeo, CEO of Axelera AI, said that delivering high-performance AI inference across both edge and enterprise environments "requires not only an innovative architecture, but also a manufacturing partner capable of realizing that vision in reliable, scalable silicon."