CEO Interview with Steve Kim of Chips&Media

I’m Steve Kim, the CEO of Chips&Media. I’ve been immersed in the multimedia imaging industry for approximately two decades. Prior to joining Chips&Media, I spent over five years working within handset manufacturing companies. Following more than ten years here at Chips&Media in roles spanning Marketing, Sales, and Procurement, I was appointed CEO. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the US, obtained in 1995, and subsequently completed my MBA studies in the US in 1997.

Tell us about your company.

‘Powering 3 Billion Devices Across 150+ Global Top-Tiers’

Chips&Media, headquartered in Seoul, Korea, is a Premium Multimedia IP company, including video codec, image processing NPU, frame buffer compression IP, and more. With over two decades of industry expertise and strong international collaborations, we are recognized for delivering dedicated, high-performance architectures optimized for memory bandwidth, power consumption, gate size, and reliability across various consumer applications.
Building on our proven success in diverse multimedia applications, we are expanding our footprint into overwhelming, including Automotive (IVI, ADAS, and Autonomous Driving), Cloud Data Centers, Robotics and AI accelerators. What sets us apart is our highly configurable and modular IP architecture, which empowers SoC designers to seamlessly select the optimal configuration for performance, power, and area (PPA) to best fit their target applications.

What problems are you solving?

‘High Performance, Low Power, Small Footprint’

We solve the core challenges of processing high-resolution video on resource-constrained edge devices. Our solutions compress high-quality video into the smallest possible size without loss and ensure smooth playback with minimal power consumption.

Ultimately, we satisfy our partners by delivering the “Triple Crown” of hardware design: High Performance, Low Power, and Optimized Area (PPA).

What application areas are your strongest?

‘Beyond Video Codecs: Leading the Future of Multimedia with AI-Powered NPU and FBC Innovation’

Building on over 20 years of proven expertise in the global video codec market, Chips&Media is solidifying its position in the multimedia IP industry.
Aligned with the latest trends in image processing, we offer real-time AI-driven video enhancement through our high-performance NPU IP. Furthermore, our FBC (Frame Buffer Compression) technology provides peak system optimization by effectively resolving DRAM bandwidth bottlenecks and eliminating the need for line buffers (SRAM) during data conversion. These innovations are the core drivers enabling us to deliver differentiated value as a comprehensive global multimedia IP provider.

What does the competitive landscape look like and how do you differentiate?
‘Powered by Technology, Proven by Performance, Trusted by 3 Billion Devices’
Currently, the multimedia IP market is structured around a competition between the general-purpose solutions of global EDA giants and the presence of region-based providers. However, as demand for AI and high-resolution video surges, the market is shifting.

Rather than a broad portfolio that simply lists features, there is now a stronger-than-ever demand for Deep-Tech specialized IP that delivers superior efficiency in specific domains. In response, Chips&Media is establishing a differentiated market position through three core strategic pillars.

1) Superior Tech Efficiency

– We provide industry-leading 8K60fps multi-standard video codecs that deliver superior image quality with minimal power consumption, offloading the host CPU to maximize overall system efficiency.
– Chips&Media has released the latest video standard IPs faster than anyone else in the market. We were the first codec IP provider for H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, AV1, APV and others; now, we are about to release our AV2 IP.
– Our FBC technologies minimize chip area by eliminating unnecessary line buffers (SRAM) and ensure real-time processing with ultra-low latency through its high-speed on-the-fly architecture.
– Our specialized image processing NPU maximizes MAC utilization through its efficient architecture. Its proprietary line-by-line processing technology drastically reduces DRAM bandwidth, enabling high-performance real-time video processing.

2) Committed to Functional Safety: On track to achieve ISO 26262 (ASIL-B) certification by 2026

3) Market-Proven Reliability:

We have secured over 150 global top-tier customers with a track record of more than 3 billion units delivered, while offering a wide range of customization options to meet specific customer requirements.

What new features/technology are you working on?

‘Driving the Future: AI Evolution and Ultra-High-Resolution Optimization’

We are focusing on three core innovations to lead the shift toward ultra-high-resolution data and AI evolution:

1. Next-Gen FBC (Memory Optimization):

Our latest FBC algorithms maximize compression ratios with minimal quality loss, drastically reducing system costs and power consumption by solving memory bottlenecks.

2. Image-Specific NPU (AI Efficiency):

Unlike general-purpose NPUs, our NPU IP (WAVE-N) architecture is optimized specifically for image processing, delivering exceptional performance with near-zero bandwidth consumption.

3. Versatile Portfolio & Customization (Multimedia IP Provider):

We offer high-performance video codec IPs adaptable to various industries, including Mobile, Automotive, and HPC. By providing flexible configuration to each client’s unique requirements, we continue to diversify our global portfolio.

How do customers normally engage with your company?

‘Business Model: License Fee + Royalty’

Our business model is built on a synergistic structure of license fees and royalties. Customers reduce development time through upfront licensing and subsequently share revenue with us through royalties as their products enter the market. This close collaboration has created a virtuous cycle, where over 90% of our clients consistently choose Chips&Media for their subsequent projects.

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