Ceva-XC21 Named "Best IP/Processor of the Year" at EE Awards Asia

Rhea-AI Summary

Ceva (NASDAQ: CEVA) announced on Dec 5, 2025 that its Ceva‑XC21 IoT communication DSP won Best IP/Processor of the Year at EE Awards Asia in Taipei.

The Ceva‑XC21 is described as an ultra‑efficient, AI‑enabled DSP for cost‑sensitive cellular IoT and smart‑home devices, optimized for RedCap/eRedCap, NB‑IoT, LTE‑M, LTE Cat‑M/Cat‑1. It is configurable (single or dual thread; 32–64 MAC units), claims up to 1.8× performance versus prior generation and 48% area reduction, and is available for licensing today.

Key Figures

5G RedCap/eRedCap forecast nearly 1 billion connections by 2030 Omdia forecast for 5G Reduced Capability and enhanced RedCap

MAC configurations 32 or 64 MAC units Ceva-XC21 configurable architecture options

Performance gain Up to 1.8× Ceva-XC21 vs. prior generation DSP performance

Area reduction 48% reduction Ceva-XC21 top configurations vs. prior generation

Market Reality Check

$22.73 Last Close

Volume Volume 477,560 is 0.63x the 20-day average of 759,606, indicating subdued trading activity pre-announcement. low

Technical Shares at $22.73 are trading below the 200-day MA of $24.57 and 41.63% under the 52-week high.

Peers on Argus 1 Up

CEVA gained 2.99% while peers like POET (+7.94%), LAES (+7.68%), and AIP (+5%) also rose, but only 1 related peer appeared in the momentum scanner, suggesting stock-specific factors rather than a broad sector-driven move.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Nov 18	Equity offering priced	Negative	-14.5%	Pricing of 3,000,000-share public offering at $19.50 with notable selloff.
Nov 17	Equity offering launch	Negative	-4.0%	Announcement of underwritten common stock offering and underwriter option.
Nov 17	Product award win	Positive	-4.0%	NeuPro–Nano NPU received 2025 IoT Edge Computing Excellence Award.
Nov 13	Customer design win	Positive	-8.5%	IntelPro licensed CEVA wireless IP for its IPRO7AI AIoT SoC platform.
Nov 11	5G partnership news	Positive	+0.3%	Collaboration with United Micro on HyperMotion 5G RedCap automotive IoT platform.

Pattern Detected

Recent equity offering headlines led to notable declines, while some positive partnership and award news saw muted or negative reactions, indicating occasional divergence between upbeat announcements and short-term price moves.

Recent Company History

Over the past month, CEVA combined strategic collaborations, product recognition, and equity financing. On Nov 11, it announced a 5G RedCap automotive IoT platform with United Micro, with a modest 0.27% gain. Subsequent IoT and AI IP wins on Nov 13 and Nov 17 coincided with declines of 8.54% and 4.03%. The underwritten stock offering announced and priced on Nov 17–18 drove further drops of 4.03% and 14.5%. Today’s XC21 award fits the ongoing narrative of strengthening CEVA’s IoT and connectivity IP portfolio.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement showcases Ceva‑XC21 as an award‑winning DSP for cellular IoT and 5G devices, emphasizing AI‑enabled efficiency and scalability from 32 to 64 MAC units and up to 1.8× performance with a 48% area reduction. In the context of prior IoT and 5G collaborations and recent financing activity, investors may track how design wins, RedCap/eRedCap adoption toward nearly 1 billion connections by 2030, and overall licensing momentum translate into revenue and margin trends.

Key Terms

dsp technical

"AI-enabled DSP architecture for cost-sensitive IoT and smart-home devices"

A demand-side platform (DSP) is software that automates buying digital advertising space across websites, apps and video, letting marketers bid for and place ads in real time. Think of it as a smart shopper that compares many stores at once to find the best price and audience for each ad. Investors watch DSPs because their reach, pricing efficiency, data access and compliance with privacy rules directly affect revenue growth, margins and competitive position in ad-driven businesses.

nb-iot technical

"LPWA standards like NB-IoT, LTE-M, LoRaWAN, and Sub-1GHz will also dominate"

Narrowband IoT (NB‑IoT) is a low-power cellular communication standard designed to connect simple devices — like utility meters, sensors, and trackers — that send small amounts of data infrequently. Think of it as a lightweight, long‑range “postal service” for tiny gadgets: it keeps battery life long and network costs low while extending coverage into buildings and remote areas. Investors care because NB‑IoT can enable large-scale, low-cost Internet-of-Things deployments that drive recurring revenue for network operators, device makers, and service providers.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Ceva-XC21™ Recognized for advancing cellular IoT and 5G connectivity with ultra-efficient, AI-enabled DSP architecture for cost-sensitive IoT and smart-home devices

ROCKVILLE, Md., Dec. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ceva, Inc. (NASDAQ: CEVA), the leading licensor of silicon and software IP for the Smart Edge, today announced that its Ceva–XC21™ IoT communication DSP has been awarded Best IP/Processor of the Year at the prestigious EE Awards Asia ceremony in Taipei. The EE Awards Asia recognize standout products and companies across the region's electronics industry, with finalists selected by a global editorial panel and winners chosen by the EE Times and EDN reader communities in Taiwan and Asia.

Cellular IoT on the Rise
The cellular IoT market is entering a period of rapid expansion, driven by the migration from LTE to 5G technologies. According to Omdia, 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) and enhanced RedCap (eRedCap) connections are forecast to reach nearly 1 billion by 2030. LPWA standards like NB-IoT, LTE-M, LoRaWAN, and Sub-1GHz will also dominate massive IoT deployments. The Ceva-XC21 DSP is purpose-built to address this growth, delivering ultra-efficient, AI-enabled processing for cellular IoT and 5G/5G-Advanced devices.

Michael Boukaya, Chief Operating Officer of Ceva, commented: "Winning Best IP/Processor of the Year for Ceva-XC21 underscores our commitment to driving innovation in wireless connectivity. By combining ultra–efficient DSP processing with embedded AI, The Ceva-XC21 enables smarter connectivity for billions of devices - from IoT sensors to advanced smart–home gateways. This award affirms our vision to deliver the IP that makes ubiquitous connectivity practical and scalable for the next decade of connected innovation."

Why Ceva-XC21 won: measurable efficiency with AI–ready scalability
Purpose–built for low–power, cost– and size–optimized cellular IoT modems and 5G/5G–Advanced devices, Ceva–XC21 is a scalable, dual–thread IoT processor with built–in AI/ML support to apply machine learning to modem algorithms and network efficiency. Available in multiple configurations - including single– or dual–thread options and 32 or 64 MAC units, the Ceva-XC21 lets designers tune power, performance, and area for everything from compact IoT sensors and smartwatches to advanced smart–home gateways and IoT hubs relying on robust cellular backhaul, including 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).

• Optimized for RedCap/eRedCap & LTE Cat–M/Cat–1: Reliable cellular backhaul for smart–home hubs, gateways, smartwatches and IoT devices in cost–sensitive, size–constrained designs.
• AI inside the modem path: Built–in AI/ML improves link robustness, latency, and energy efficiency—key for Physical AI deployments at the edge.
• Scalable architecture: Configurable from 32 to 64 MAC units, single or dual thread, to balance power, performance, and area across diverse device classes.
• Future–ready: Designed for 5G–Advanced and pre–6G workloads, including NTN and VSAT terminals, ensuring long–term viability.
• Proven gains: Up to 1.8× performance vs. prior generation and 48% area reduction in top configurations.

Availability
Ceva-XC21 DSP is available for licensing today. For more information, visit: https://www.ceva-ip.com/product/ceva-xc21/

About EE Awards Asia
The EE Awards Asia celebrate the best products, companies, and individuals across the continent's electronics industry. Judging and selection are undertaken by a global panel of experts, followed by voting from EE Times and EDN reader communities in Taiwan and Asia.

About Ceva, Inc.
At Ceva, we are passionate about bringing new levels of innovation to the smart edge. Our wireless communications, sensing and Edge AI technologies are at the heart of some of today's most advanced smart edge products. From Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, UWB and 5G platform IP for ubiquitous, robust communications, to scalable Edge AI NPU IPs, sensor fusion processors and embedded application software that make devices smarter, we have the broadest portfolio of IP to connect, sense and infer data more reliably and efficiently. We deliver differentiated solutions that combine outstanding performance at ultra-low power within a very small silicon footprint. Our goal is simple – to deliver the silicon and software IP to enable a smarter, safer, and more interconnected world. This philosophy is in practice today, with Ceva powering more than 20 billion of the world's most innovative smart edge products from AI-infused smartwatches, IoT devices and wearables to autonomous vehicles and 5G mobile networks.

Our headquarters are in Rockville, Maryland with a global customer base supported by operations worldwide. Our employees are among the leading experts in their areas of specialty, consistently solving the most complex design challenges, enabling our customers to bring innovative smart edge products to market.

Ceva: Powering the Smart Edge™

Visit us at www.ceva-ip.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

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SOURCE Ceva, Inc.

FAQ

What award did Ceva (NASDAQ: CEVA) win for the Ceva‑XC21 on Dec 5, 2025?

Ceva‑XC21 won Best IP/Processor of the Year at the EE Awards Asia ceremony in Taipei on Dec 5, 2025.

What key features does the Ceva‑XC21 DSP (CEVA) offer for cellular IoT devices?

Ceva‑XC21 offers AI/ML inside the modem path, configurable single/dual thread, 32–64 MAC units, and low‑power, area‑optimized designs for cellular IoT.

Which standards and device types is Ceva‑XC21 optimized for (CEVA)?

The DSP is optimized for 5G RedCap/eRedCap, NB‑IoT, LTE‑M and LTE Cat‑M/Cat‑1, targeting sensors, smartwatches, smart‑home hubs, and gateways.

What performance and area improvements does Ceva claim for Ceva‑XC21 (CEVA)?

Ceva reports up to 1.8× performance versus the prior generation and a 48% area reduction in top configurations.

Is the Ceva‑XC21 DSP (CEVA) available to license now and where can designers get details?

Yes, Ceva‑XC21 is available for licensing today; designers can find product details on Ceva's product webpage.

How does Ceva position the Ceva‑XC21 for future wireless generations (CEVA)?

Ceva positions XC21 as future‑ready for 5G‑Advanced and pre‑6G workloads, including NTN and VSAT terminal use cases.