RISC-V Market Analysis: The New Kid on the Block

In June 2019, Semico Research initiated a study to quantify the total available market (TAM) for IP cores and estimate the served available market (SAM) for RISC-V IP cores.  We surveyed and interviewed a cross section of the semiconductor industry in order to gather information related to the type of devices that are being designed with RISC-V and their target markets.

Semico, in conjunction with the RISC-V Foundation, identified 34 markets and developed both a TAM and a SAM for each of these markets.  Utilizing Semico’s extensive end-market databases, we developed a forecast out to 2025.  This report focuses on four semiconductor devices which have a high value opportunity to use RISC-V cores.  These devices are:

• Advanced Performance Multicore SoC
• Value Multicore SoC
• Basic SoCs, and
• FPGAs

Semico’s survey results indicated increasing interest and significant ongoing developments for RISC-V products in all major end applications.  RISC-V devices are also targeted at a broad range of performance levels. RISC-V’s flexible, open source strategy provides a competitive advantage which will change the landscape of the CPU IP market.  Other IP vendors have or will expand their architecture to provide an open-source option in order to maintain a competitive position in the market.

Semico's latest report, RISC-V Market Analysis:  The New Kid on the Block, is 93 pages long, and it contains 75 tables and 76 figures.