Whalesbook
Quadric Accelerates On-Device AI Push with $30 Million Series C Funding
Quadric, a startup specializing in programmable AI processor IP for on-device inference, has successfully closed an oversubscribed $30 million Series C funding round. The investment, led by ACCELERATE Fund managed by BEENEXT Capital Management, brings the company's total capital raised to $72 million. [2, 6] The fresh capital infusion arrives as Quadric experiences a significant revenue inflection, with product revenues more than tripling in 2025 compared to 2024. [6] This financial milestone supports the company's strategic expansion from its initial focus in the automotive sector to broader applications including laptops and industrial devices, addressing the escalating demand for AI capabilities at the edge.
Revenue Surge and Strategic Expansion Fuels Investor Confidence
Quadric reported significant revenue growth in 2025, with figures ranging between $15 million and $20 million in licensing revenue, a substantial leap from approximately $4 million in 2024. [cite:A] This strong performance signals a market shift towards on-device AI solutions. The company has set an ambitious target of up to $35 million in revenue for the current year, underscoring its optimistic outlook for its royalty-driven on-device AI business. [cite:B] Following this funding round, Quadric's post-money valuation has reached approximately $315.8 million as of January 2026. [3] This growth trajectory has attracted a robust investor base, with new participants including Volta, Gentree, Wanxiang America, Pivotal, and Silicon Catalyst Ventures joining existing investors like Uncork Capital and Pear VC. [6]
The On-Device AI Imperative and Quadric's Programmable Approach
The global drive towards on-device AI is propelled by the need to reduce cloud infrastructure costs, enhance data privacy, lower latency, and enable "sovereign AI" capabilities—allowing countries to build domestic AI ecosystems independent of foreign infrastructure. [cite:A, B, 2, 9, 11, 21, 24, 25, 32, 41] Quadric addresses this demand with its General Purpose Neural Processing Unit (GPNPU) processor IP, the Chimera architecture. Unlike fixed-function Neural Processing Units (NPUs) that can become obsolete as AI models evolve, Quadric's IP is fully programmable. [26] This flexibility allows customers to run current and future AI models on a single architecture, safeguarding investments against model-driven obsolescence. [26] The company's integrated software toolchain further enables chip designers to deploy computer vision and on-device Large Language Models (LLMs), including models up to 30 billion parameters, with industry-leading performance per watt. [26] This approach allows customers to develop production-ready AI silicon in under six months, a critical advantage in the fast-moving AI landscape. [26]
Market Positioning and Future Outlook
Quadric's chip-agnostic technology is gaining traction with customers like Kyocera, utilizing it in smart office equipment, and Denso, integrating it into automotive ADAS chips. [2, 13, 40] The company is also expanding its reach into new markets, including edge LLM chips for an undisclosed Asian customer and software for autonomous driving solutions with Tier IV. [2, 13] By offering programmable IP, Quadric positions itself as a flexible alternative to larger chip manufacturers like Nvidia, which focus on data-center AI, and to traditional IP suppliers like Synopsys and Cadence, whose offerings can be harder to customize. [cite:B] As the demand for distributed AI and sovereign capabilities continues to grow, Quadric's ability to provide adaptable and efficient on-device AI solutions is key to its future growth. [cite:B, 24, 28, 32]