SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 08, 2025 — DEEPX, a specialist in low-power on-device AI semiconductor technology led by CEO Lokwon Kim, announced a strategic partnership with Baidu, a global leader in AI, on August 18th. The ‘PaddlePaddle Technology Ecosystem Partnership’ agreement, signed in Shenzhen, China, aims to promote AI solutions for industrial applications worldwide.
As an official ecosystem partner leveraging Baidu’s open-source deep learning framework, PaddlePaddle, DEEPX will collaborate on industrial AI projects, co-develop products based on technological compatibility, and jointly promote these solutions to global customers.
Baidu’s PaddlePaddle, China’s pioneering open-source deep learning framework, serves as a core technology platform for AI model creation and execution. Short for “PArallel Distributed Deep LEarning,” it’s engineered for rapid processing of extensive data and efficient operation across diverse devices.
PaddlePaddle finds application in various sectors, including smart cities, autonomous vehicles, image and speech recognition, and is recognized as a widely adopted AI development tool within China, used by numerous companies, institutions, and Baidu’s internal products. It’s a “full-stack AI platform,” offering tools from AI model development to deployment, including pre-trained models, optimization tools, and visualization capabilities.
Prior to the formal agreement, DEEPX showcased its mass-produced DX-M1 chip in real-time demonstrations using Baidu’s fifth-generation PP-OCR and VLM-based models. The demonstrations achieved high FPS (frames per second) and impressive power efficiency (FPS/W), especially in edge-based industrial PCs with limited battery capacity. Baidu has expressed interest in expanding this collaboration.
The partnership extends beyond OCR to include drones and robotics. The Baidu PaddlePaddle and ERNIE Team will adapt its AI models for drones, along with VLM-based obstacle avoidance models for robots, to be compatible with the DX-M1 for commercial deployment in real-world projects.
DEEPX is also adapting 10 representative OpenVINO-based AI models for compatibility with the DX-M1, which will be shared with partners within Baidu’s PaddlePaddle ecosystem. This is expected to facilitate the adoption and scaling of AI products powered by DEEPX NPUs.
DEEPX is developing V-NPU, a dedicated NPU card for vision AI designed to replace GPUs. Initial demonstrations are complete, with mass production slated for September. DEEPX and Baidu are also exploring collaboration on next-generation product development. DEEPX intends to use Samsung Foundry’s 2nm-based “DX-M2” AI semiconductor to validate a prototype running Baidu’s large AI model “ERNIE-4.5-VL-28B-A3B” (MoE-based).
Furthermore, the Baidu PaddlePaddle and ERNIE Team has invited DEEPX to jointly exhibit at the 2025 Shenzhen (International) Artificial General Intelligence Conference in late August. They plan to conduct on-site demonstrations and joint marketing activities targeting global customers.
The Baidu PaddlePaddle and ERNIE Team stated: “DEEPX, with its exceptional low-power AI semiconductor technology, will significantly enhance the edge computing capabilities of the Baidu AI ecosystem. The DX-M1, in particular, greatly improves the practical application of PaddlePaddle-based AI models across industries like OCR, robotics, and drones. This collaboration will help us expand the ecosystem, making AI implementation easier for more companies.”
Lokwon Kim, CEO of DEEPX, commented, “Our partnership with Baidu is a significant milestone in the rapid global adoption of DEEPX’s AI semiconductor technology. We will enhance our competitiveness in the global AI market through practical product development based on the PaddlePaddle and ERNIE Ecosystem and various industrial collaborations.”
About DEEPX
Founded with the vision of a future where AI is as ubiquitous as electricity and Wi-Fi, DEEPX develops core technologies for high-performance AI semiconductors and computing solutions that bring intelligence to electronic devices. DEEPX holds over 350 patents pending in the U.S., China, and Korea—one of the largest patent portfolios in the world for on-device AI chip development.
DEEPX’s AI semiconductors are optimized for various applications, enhancing energy efficiency and enabling advanced AI functionality. The company is collaborating with customers such as Hyundai Kia Motors Robotics Lab, POSCO DX, LGU+, and Inventec on mass-production developments. Additionally, DEEPX partners with over 120 global organizations in areas like smart cameras, surveillance systems (AI NVR), smart factories, robotic platforms, and AI servers, and conducts strategic global promotions in the United States, China, Taiwan, and Europe.
CONTACT: Contact: lah@deepx.ai
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