On October 20, 2025 (local time), Arm Holdings announced the expansion of its Flexible Access licensing program to include 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 Arm’s chip design tools and training with minimal upfront cost, enabling them to prototype and test new chip concepts more efficiently. Hardware firms such as Raspberry Pi, Hailo, and SiMa.ai have already participated in the program, according to Arm.

By opening up its licensing model, Arm seeks to strengthen its ties with AI startups and emerging device manufacturers that might otherwise be deterred by expensive licensing fees. The move positions Arm to embed its architecture across a wider range of edge AI devices, from smartphones and autonomous vehicles to industrial and retail systems that process data locally rather than in the cloud.

The expansion underscores Arm’s ambition to solidify its leadership in the fast-growing edge AI market, where it faces intensifying competition from NVIDIA, Intel, and other chipmakers developing specialized AI processors.

Arm said more than 300 companies have now joined the Flexible Access program, with 400 chip designs completed and ready for manufacturing. Earlier this month, Qualcomm reportedly shifted its flagship mobile chips to Arm’s latest v9 architecture, according to sources cited by Reuters.

Following the announcement, Arm’s shares rose 4% to $172.23, extending their year-to-date gain to 34.2%, as investors viewed the move as a key step toward deepening the company’s footprint in the global AI ecosystem.