• Response to strong customer demand across various target markets
• Leverages BrainChip's energy-efficient, event-based Akida technology
• Expands BrainChip's capabilities as a leader in delivering full-stack AI solutions

BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN, OTCQX: BRCHF, BCHPY), the world's first commercial producer of neuromorphic artificial intelligence IP, today announces that it is commencing the tape-out process for its AKD1500 reference design for volume production. This move is in response to customer demand and increasing market demand for at-sensor and low-power embedded AI solutions. The decision to move the AKD1500 from a reference design to volume production is driven by strong customer engagement across various target markets, including military, aerospace, medical, and consumer wearables. The AKD1500 leverages BrainChip's energy-efficient, event-based Akida technology, enabling high performance at milliwatt power levels, which is crucial for real-time edge processing and on-device learning in battery-powered devices. The Company is expanding its capabilities as a leader in delivering full-stack solutions for critical use cases, and moving to volume chip production is the next strategic step in bringing those solutions to market quickly. The AKD1500 production release capitalises on the market's demand for deploying on-device AI, which offers benefits such as reduced latency, reduced cloud costs, enhanced privacy, and improved data security. The Company expects the first units from the production mask set to be available by Q3 2026.

The Company forecasts production parts of the AKD1500 will be available by late Q3 of 2026. The production mask set, related fabrication and testing costs amount to approximately $2.3M USD.

As the market matures and partners become more deeply integrated into the ecosystem, it is expected that a portion of this demand will transition to an Intellectual Property (IP) licensing model, allowing partners to integrate BrainChip's proven architecture directly into their own system-on-chip (SoC) designs, offering greater customization and further accelerating time-to-market for their smart products.