Press release

SiPearl signs a major licensing agreement with Arm
for the development of its first-generation of microprocessors
SiPearl, the company that is designing the high-performance, low-power microprocessor
for the European exascale1 supercomputer, has signed a licensing agreement with Arm,the global semiconductor IP provider, in which SiPearl will use the next-generation highperformance, secure, and scalable Arm Neoverse platform, codenamed “Zeus”.

Maisons-Laffitte, France, 21 April 2020 – SiPearl, the company that is designing the high-performance,
low-power microprocessor for the European exascale supercomputer, has signed a major
technological licensing agreement with Arm, the global semiconductor IP provider. The agreement
will enable SiPearl to benefit from the high-performance, secure, and scalable next-generation Arm®
Neoverse™ platform, codenamed ‶Zeusʺ, as well as leverage the robust software and hardware Armecosystem.
Taking advantage of the Arm “Zeus” platform, including Arm’s POP™ IP, on advanced FinFET2
technology enables SiPearl to accelerate its design and ensure outstanding reliability for a very highend offering, in terms of both computing power and energy efficiency, and be ready to launch its firstgeneration of microprocessors in 2022.
SiPearl will be moving forward with the joint project of the 27 academic and industrial members of theEuropean Processor Initiative3 (EPI), the consortium selected by the European Union to support thedevelopment of the European microprocessor. Based on a roadmap that is closely aligned with theEuropean Union’s goals, SiPearl and its solutions will help drive the development of the European
market for high performance computing (HPC), as well as its applications such as artificial intelligenceand connected mobility. It will enable Europe to ensure its technological sovereignty andindependence to meet a growing range of increasingly complex strategic challenges: research,health, weather forecasting, energy, defence, chemicals, engineering, cybersecurity, and smart cities.
“Arm Neoverse platforms are committed to enable the infrastructure for a world of a trillion connected
devices, providing a foundation for our ecosystem to build products spanning edge to cloud and beyond
to high performance computing,” said Chris Bergey, SVP and GM, Infrastructure Line of Business, Arm.
“SiPearl’s use of the next-generation ‘Zeus’ platform for a power-efficient, yet high-performing solutionaligns perfectly with the Neoverse design principles and we look forward to collaborating with SiPearl on
their first-generation solutions.”

1 One billion billion calculations per second.
2 FinFET is the current semiconductor direction to build 3D device by having a fin-shaped device structure.
3The EPI’s members are: Atos, Barcelona Supercomputing Center, BMW Group, French Alternative Energies andAtomic Energy Commission (CEA), Chalmers, Cineca, E4 Computer Engineering, Elektrobit, ETH Zürich, Ex toll,FORTH, Fraunhofer ITWM, Genci, Infineon Technologies, Jülich, Kalray, KIT, Menta, Prove & Run, Semidynamics
Technology Services, SiPearl, ST Microelectronics, SURFsara, Technico Lisboa, University of Bologna, University ofPisa, University of Zagreb.

“We would like to thank the teams from Arm for the confidence and trust that they have shown in us withthis major license. It will enable us to gain nearly 10 years of development and position us as a major
player from the outset. Thanks to the Arm Neoverse “Zeus” platform and the intellectual property
components developed by our partners from the European Processor Initiative consortium, our first
generation of microprocessors will combine supercomputing power with outstanding energy efficiency
and backdoor-free security. This will ensure that they are effectively positioned to support European
supercomputers with their transition to exascale”, concluded Philippe Notton, SiPearl’s CEO andfounder.

About SiPearl
Created by Philippe Notton, SiPearl is the company that is bringing to life the European Processor Initiative(EPI) project, designing the high-performance, low-power microprocessor for the European exascale
supercomputer.
This new generation of microprocessors will enable Europe to set out its technological sovereignty on thestrategic markets for high performance computing, artificial intelligence and connected mobility.
SiPearl will develop and market its solutions through close collaboration with its 26 partners from the EPI scientific community, supercomputing centres and leading names from the IT, electronics and automotive
sectors - which are its stakeholders and future clients.
SiPearl is supported by the European Union 4.

Media contact:
Mag and Co: Marie-Anne Garigue – +33 (0)6 09 05 87 80 – sipearl@mag-and-co.fr

4 This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under

specific grant agreement no.826647.