Deepx AI chip named 'innovative product' by Science Ministry, opening public procurement channels

The AI semiconductor developed by physical AI chipmaker Deepx for low-power edge computing has been designated an "excellent R&D innovative product" by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

The ministry operates the excellent R&D innovative product designation system to help products developed through government research and development enter the public market and secure sales channels.

With the designation, Deepx's product is now eligible for negotiated contracts with public institutions — including central and local government bodies — for three years. Procurement officers will also be shielded from liability for purchases made without gross negligence or willful misconduct.

Deepx said Tuesday that the newly designated product is the company's NPU-based AI inference module, the "DX-M1·DX-H1 series," which performs real-time inference operations for AI models.

Conventional AI semiconductors have faced limitations in outdoor enclosures and mobile equipment where power supply is restricted, due to their high cost, high power consumption and heat generation.

Deepx addressed these constraints through its proprietary "Data Reuse" architecture, which reduces data movement during computation to improve power efficiency.

The company holds more than 500 global technology patents related to low power consumption, high performance and price competitiveness. In certified testing, its DX-M1-based NPU module cut power consumption by up to 93 percent compared with Nvidia GPUs while delivering equivalent high-resolution AI object detection performance.

Deepx has been expanding into the public sector, most recently supplying its NPU for an AI surveillance system at an Air Force base through the Ministry of National Defense's pilot project to build an NPU-based intelligent video surveillance system.

The first-generation NPU "DX-M1" secured 77 purchase orders worth more than $13 million across more than 10 countries and regions worldwide within one year of entering mass production.

"We will use this innovative product designation as an opportunity to expand the adoption of domestically produced AI semiconductors in public infrastructure and build sovereign AI cases that demonstrate economic viability in real-world settings," said Kim Nok-won, chief executive of Deepx.