Arm Flexible Access License model offers startups free IP use

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Arm Flexible Access (above) compared to standard and Development remains free in the early stages.

Arm extends the license model Arm.

Flexible Access with a variant for startups that, up to a certain amount of funding, can access the company’s intellectual property (IP) and extended ecosystem free of charge in order to experiment with the IP, to design and ultimately produce first prototypes.

With Arm Flexible Access" ARM offers a license model which acts as a link between the cheapest license model Arm Designstart and the complete package Standard Licensing". Arm Flexible Access gives partners access to a wide range of IP, including numerous Cortex kernels, Gpus, interconnects, system controllers, security IP, peripherals, debug and trace as well as design kits. Partners also receive access to physical IP, tools and support via the license.

Licence fee only after Soc development.

The license model had initially offered Arm as an "Entry Package" for 75,000 US dollars a year or Standard Package for 200,000 US dollars a year. The packages differ in the number of allowed tape outs (one versus unlimited), the support and the calculation of the royalties. In contrast to standard licensing, the Flexible Access arm will only pay the license fee per licensed product after the development of the SOC.

As with standard licensing, after the tape-out, production and delivery of a new Socs, a fee per unit delivered is payable to arm in addition to the license fee per IP. However, in the case of standard licensing, the corresponding royalties must be paid to arm even after selection of the desired IP. Partners now have more room for manoeuvre in development before these costs arise, but in return, one of the two annual fees is due.

Arm Flexible Access covers the following IP.

In response to the announcement that since September last year research institutes have also been able to use Arm Flexible Access, which even receive free access to the IP, provided that it is not used commercially, is now followed by the release, also free of charge, for start-ups in the start-up phase, which will one day have some commercial ambitions. In order for the entry to remain free of charge, Arm draws a limit on the amount of funding from which it is necessary to switch to the royalty-paying licence model.

Funding of up to USD 5 million.

A startup is usually divided into several phases of capital collection, such as the seed phase, in which first funds are collected for a marketable product or service before major investors enter Series A and B. At this early stage of construction, innovative ideas are to be implemented quickly and at minimal cost to convince investors. Up to $5 million, Arm Flexible Access remains completely free for startups. Once the basic structure is in place and larger amounts of money flow into the company, it can switch to the regular arm Flexible Access.

Up to USD 5 million Up to the license remains free.

Development remains free in the early stages.

Arms IP covers the entire product range within the framework of Arm Flexible Access and is designed for Automotive, Iot and AI products in the Edge Cloud. The latest developments from areas such as Cortex, Mali or Corelink are not available, but startups are not available, for which the standard licensing is provided.