Dolphin Semiconductor
Dolphin Semiconductor designs analog and mixed-signal semiconductor IP cores—power management, audio, and power metering—for chip designers targeting automotive, consumer electronics, AI/IoT, smart metering, and mobile SoC applications, with a focus on energy efficiency.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersMeylan, France
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Dolphin Semiconductor does
Dolphin Semiconductor is a France-headquartered semiconductor IP company specializing in analog and mixed-signal IP cores for System-on-Chip (SoC) designers. Founded in 1985 as Dolphin Integration and rebranded to Dolphin Semiconductor in 2024 following acquisition by private equity firm Jolt Capital, the company offers three primary product lines: Power Management IP (including Adaptive Body Bias, DC/DC converters, SIMO, LDO regulators, oscillators, voltage monitors, and power controllers); Audio IP (the BAT platform with ADC, DAC, ASRC, PWM DAC, PDM to PCM, voice activity detection, neuromorphic audio, and audio codec); and Power Metering IP (24-bit ADC for single/three-phase energy metering). The company also provides the SPEED IP platform integrating analog/mixed-signal and digital blocks for energy-efficient AI-enabled SoCs, proprietary EDA tools (SLED schematic editor and SMASH mixed-signal simulator), and Application Lab testing services.
The company's IP is silicon-validated across all major foundries (TSMC, Samsung, SMIC, GlobalFoundries, UMC, Huahong Grace), enabling customers to integrate Dolphin blocks at advanced process nodes including sub-40nm. Notable technical differentiators include the Whisper Family of ultra-low-power voice UI IPs (WhisperTrigger at 8 µW and WhisperExtractor at 7 µW), ANC IP with industry-leading 3 µs ADC / 2 µs DAC latency, and SMASH 7.6 simulator achieving 2x-6x speed improvement. The company holds ISO 9001 certification and Solar Impulse Efficient Solution label.
Dolphin Semiconductor operates a direct enterprise sales motion with regional sales managers covering EMEA, Asia-Pacific, and North America, supplemented by sales partners in China (Jiatao, Shanghai) and Taiwan/Japan (Shui Shou Wang, Hsinchu), plus foundry ecosystem channels and a self-serve IP catalog portal at my.dolphin-design.fr. Revenue derives primarily from semiconductor IP licensing (licensing/royalty model with re-licensing across process nodes), supplemented by one-time EDA tool licenses and professional services from the Application Lab. Target markets include consumer electronics (earbuds, wearables, smart speakers), automotive (AEC-Q100 / ISO 26262 compliant MCUs), AI/IoT edge devices, smart metering, and mobile. Backed by Jolt Capital and Vertex Growth (Temasek affiliate), the company employs 147+ professionals including 110+ R&D engineers across offices in Meylan (France) and St-Laurent, Quebec.
Dolphin Semiconductor firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dolphin Semiconductor
- Legal name
- Dolphin Semiconductor
- Website
- https://dolphin-semiconductor.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Dolphin Semiconductor designs analog and mixed-signal semiconductor IP cores—power management, audio, and power metering—for chip designers targeting automotive, consumer electronics, AI/IoT, smart metering, and mobile SoC applications, with a focus on energy efficiency.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dolphin Semiconductor industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Semiconductor IP (Analog/Mixed-Signal)
- NAICS
- Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing (334413)
- SIC
- Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hardware/Chip Design IP Cores (Processor, Interface, Analog, Security) (HDAHAFAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Analog/Mixed-Signal & RF EDA Tools (HDAHAFAB), EDA Software Platforms (Digital Implementation, Verification & Signoff) (HDAHAFAA), IP Enablement, Characterization & Porting Services (HDAHAFAI)
Keywords
Where Dolphin Semiconductor is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Meylan
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Dolphin Semiconductor business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Semiconductor IP Licensing: Sale of semiconductor IP cores (audio, power management, power metering, foundation IPs) to chip designers and foundries. Customers license Dolphin IPs for integration into their own SoC designs. More than 40 IP licenses delivered per year. Revenue is recurring from new design wins and existing customer re-licensing across process nodes.
- EDA Software Tools: Distribution of EDA solutions including SLED schematic editor and SMASH mixed-signal simulator. Available as evaluation kits (Windows MSI/EXE, RedHat Linux) and licensed deployments. License servers and drivers also provided.
- Application Lab / Testing Services: Mixed-signal product characterization and testing services including testboard design, silicon packaging, test program development, and automated measurements from -55°C to 190°C for customer product validation.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Dolphin Semiconductor product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dolphin Semiconductor designs, licenses, and supports silicon-proven analog/mixed-signal semiconductor IP cores, including power management IP (DC/DC converters, LDOs, ABB, SIMO), audio IP (ADC, DAC, ASRC, PWM DAC, neuromorphic audio), power metering IP (24-bit ADC), and foundation IP. These IP cores are licensed to fabless semiconductor designers, foundries, and integrated device manufacturers for integration into SoCs targeting automotive, consumer electronics, AI/IoT, mobile, and smart metering applications. The company also distributes EDA tools (SLED schematic editor, SMASH mixed-signal simulator) and offers Application Lab testing and characterization services.
Product overview
Dolphin Semiconductor provides a comprehensive portfolio of semiconductor IP solutions and EDA tools organized around three core product lines: Power Management IP (including ABB, DC/DC Converters, SIMO, LDO Regulators, Oscillators, Voltage Monitors, Sensors, and Power Controllers), Audio IP (featuring the BAT platform with ADC, DAC, ASRC, PWM DAC, PDM to PCM, Whisper family for voice processing, Neuromorphic Audio, and Audio Codec), and Power Metering IP (24-bit ADC for energy metering). The flagship SPEED IP platform combines these analog/mixed-signal and digital IPs for energy-efficient AI-enabled SoCs. Additionally, the company offers EDA tools including SLED schematic editor and SMASH mixed-signal simulator, along with Application Lab testing services and an IP Catalog portal. The portfolio targets mobile, consumer electronics, automotive, and IoT applications with a focus on energy efficiency and low-power design.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SPEED IP Platform Turnkey IP platform combining analog/mixed-signal and digital IPs with advanced low-power design techniques (DVFS, body biasing) to enable energy-efficient AI-enabled SoCs. Targeted at Edge AI SoC designers in mobile, IoT, and AI markets.
- Power Management IP Comprehensive power management IP portfolio including ABB (Adaptive Body Bias), DC/DC Converters, SIMO, LDO Regulators, Oscillators, Voltage Monitors, Sensors, and Power Controllers. Built on 20+ years of expertise for robust and future-ready SoC designs across automotive, mobile, and IoT applications.
- Audio IP (BAT Series) Advanced audio IP platform (BAT Series) for battery-powered SoCs featuring ADC, DAC, ASRC, PWM DAC, PDM to PCM conversion, Voice Activity Detection, Neuromorphic Audio, and Audio Codec. Supports ANC, beamforming, and voice user interface applications in hearables and wearables.
- Power Metering IP Low area, high accuracy 24-bit ADC IP for energy metering in single or three-phase power metering applications, targeting smart grid and industrial metering customers.
- Foundation IP Foundation IP building blocks for SoC design including standard cells, memory compilers, and I/O libraries, supporting the broader analog/mixed-signal IP portfolio.
- SLED Schematic Editor Flexible schematic editor for graphic entry and configuration of mixed-signal circuits, supporting SPICE, Verilog, VHDL, and VHDL-AMS modeling languages with TCL-based scripting API and dynamic link to SMASH simulator. EDA tool for chip designers and IP engineers.
- SMASH Mixed-Signal Simulator Seamless IC-PCB mixed-signal simulator for developing and verifying analog/mixed-signal IPs, supporting SPICE, Verilog-A, VHDL-AMS with HSPICE compatibility. Latest version 7.6 provides 2-6x speed improvement in OP/DC and transient analyses.
- Application Lab Semiconductor testing and characterization services including testboard design, silicon packaging, test program development, and automated measurements from -55°C to 190°C using state-of-the-art ATE equipment. Professional service for IP customers requiring product validation.
Quantifiable outcome
- WhisperExtractor achieves 7 µW power consumption for voice feature extraction (always-on), representing 90% energy saving vs. traditional digital signal capture approaches
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Dolphin Semiconductor
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Dolphin Semiconductor technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature10 records
Dolphin Semiconductor partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered major, secondary and core.
- HCLTechmajorStrategic partnership announced December 2025 for co-development of energy-efficient chips. HCLTech embeds Dolphin's specialized low-power IP into its silicon design workflows to create scalable, high-efficiency SoCs targeting IoT devices and datacenter ecosystems. Collaboration addresses growing demand for energy efficiency driven by AI workloads and sustainability priorities.
- CevasecondaryCollaboration with Ceva on 12nm AIoT System-on-Chip combining Bluetooth, AI, and premium audio capabilities for low-power devices. Dolphin Semiconductor contributes low-power IP to joint reference platform targeting wearables and edge AI applications.
- TSMCcoreFoundry partner listed on TSMC Open Innovation Platform (OIP), providing Dolphin's analog/mixed-signal IP portfolio to TSMC customers for design-in at TSMC process nodes.
- Samsung SemiconductorcoreFoundry partner via Samsung SAFE (Samsung Advanced Foundry Ecosystem), offering Dolphin's IP for Samsung process nodes with focus on advanced process technologies.
- SMICcoreFoundry partner listed on SMIC Design Union and SoC Days China, providing IP for SMIC's Chinese foundry customers with emphasis on smart metering and long-lifecycle applications.
- GlobalFoundriescoreFoundry partner listed on GlobalFoundries Partner Community, providing Dolphin's IP for GF process nodes including 22FDX and other advanced platforms.
- UMCsecondaryFoundry partner providing Dolphin's IP for UMC process nodes, complementing the multi-foundry strategy.
- Huahong GracesecondaryFoundry partner for Dolphin's IP offering on Huahong Grace process nodes, supporting Chinese semiconductor ecosystem.
- CEAsecondaryResearch partner for technology development and co-development of semiconductor IP solutions.
- Fraunhofer IISsecondaryAssociation/foundation partner in the semiconductor ecosystem for technology collaboration and standards development.
- MinalogicsecondaryCompetitive cluster partner in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, supporting innovation and collaboration in microelectronics.
- SynopsyssecondaryPartner ecosystem listing for interoperability and design flow compatibility with Synopsys EDA tools.
- IClink/ImecsecondaryPartnership to enhance the semiconductor industry's supply chain through goASIC program, expanding reach of Dolphin's IP to Imec's ecosystem.
- IngenicsecondaryPartner for joint IP solutions targeting IoT and multimedia applications in the Chinese market.
- MIPI AlliancesecondaryMember of MIPI Alliance, contributing to standardization of interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced computing.
- BpifrancesecondaryPublic authority partner providing financing and support for innovation and business development in France.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Dolphin Semiconductor competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- VeriSilicon: China-based semiconductor IP licensor offering a broad analog/mixed-signal, digital, and wireless IP portfolio to fabless and IDM customers globally. Most direct comparable given overlapping IP licensing business model, multi-foundry strategy, and customer base in AIoT, consumer, and automotive.
- CEVA, Inc. IP licensing company specializing in DSP, AI processors, connectivity, and sensor hub IP for edge AI and IoT SoCs. Already an active Dolphin collaboration partner (12nm AIoT SoC), CEVA shares the same IP licensing-to-chip-designers model and overlapping customer base in wearables and edge AI.
- Imagination Technologies: UK-based IP licensor offering GPU, AI, and connectivity IP for edge and automotive SoCs. Comparable as a focused, IP-only business model serving similar fabless customers across consumer and automotive end markets.
Broad incumbents
- Synopsys: Global EDA and semiconductor IP leader with a large DesignWare IP portfolio covering analog, interface, processor, and security IP. A broad incumbent that competes with Dolphin's analog/mixed-signal IP through bundled EDA flows and significant R&D scale.
- Cadence Design Systems: EDA leader offering analog/mixed-signal design tools (Virtuoso) and a growing IP portfolio (including Tensilica processors and acquired IP). Competitor through both EDA tool integration and direct IP licensing in the analog/mixed-signal space.
- Arm Holdings: Dominant processor IP provider that expanded into broader SoC IP via the Artisan acquisition. Competes with Dolphin in foundation IP and is increasingly active in adjacent mixed-signal subsystems, posing platform-level competitive risk.
- Silicon Labs: US semiconductor company with deep mixed-signal and ultra-low-power expertise in wireless, sensing, and IoT SoCs. Comparable in power management and audio IP know-how, though Silicon Labs is primarily a chip vendor rather than pure IP licensor.
- Rambus: US-based IP and chip company with a portfolio spanning memory, interconnect, and security IP, plus an emerging mixed-signal/chip business. Comparable as a mixed IP licensing + selective silicon strategy targeting high-performance computing and AI workloads.
Emerging players
- Mobiveil: Smaller semiconductor IP company specializing in memory, connectivity, and mixed-signal IP for SoCs. Comparable as a niche IP vendor competing for similar mid-tier design wins in storage, networking, and edge applications.
- Avery Design Systems: Specialized verification IP and protocol compliance provider serving SoC designers. Comparable as a smaller, focused IP vendor operating in adjacent EDA-adjacent IP niches that target the same fabless customer base as Dolphin.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Dolphin Semiconductor social profiles
Digital presenceDolphin Semiconductor compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Dolphin Semiconductor financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dolphin Semiconductor leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Dolphin Semiconductor funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dolphin Semiconductor M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Dolphin Semiconductor
What does Dolphin Semiconductor do?
Dolphin Semiconductor designs, licenses, and supports silicon-proven analog/mixed-signal semiconductor IP cores, including power management IP (DC/DC converters, LDOs, ABB, SIMO), audio IP (ADC, DAC, ASRC, PWM DAC, neuromorphic audio), power metering IP (24-bit ADC), and foundation IP. These IP cores are licensed to fabless semiconductor designers, foundries, and integrated device manufacturers for integration into SoCs targeting automotive, consumer electronics, AI/IoT, mobile, and smart metering applications. The company also distributes EDA tools (SLED schematic editor, SMASH mixed-signal simulator) and offers Application Lab testing and characterization services.
Is Dolphin Semiconductor a public or private company?
Dolphin Semiconductor is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Dolphin Semiconductor founded?
Dolphin Semiconductor was founded in 2024. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Dolphin Semiconductor based?
Dolphin Semiconductor is headquartered in Meylan, France, in the Europe region.
How does Dolphin Semiconductor make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Semiconductor IP Licensing is the primary driver. The others are EDA Software Tools and application Lab / Testing Services.
Who are Dolphin Semiconductor's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are VeriSilicon, CEVA, Inc. and Imagination Technologies. Broad incumbents are Synopsys, Cadence Design Systems, Arm Holdings, Silicon Labs and Rambus. Emerging players are Mobiveil and Avery Design Systems.
Does Dolphin Semiconductor have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dolphin Semiconductor.
What industry is Dolphin Semiconductor in?
Dolphin Semiconductor's product category is Semiconductor IP (Analog/Mixed-Signal). Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAFAF, Hardware/Chip Design IP Cores (Processor, Interface, Analog, Security), with a secondary code of HDAHAFAB, Analog/Mixed-Signal & RF EDA Tools. Its NAICS code is 334413 and its SIC code is 3674.