MIPS comes back armed

MIPS to acquire Synopsys’ Arc processor IP business.

January 14, 2026

David Harold

Three years ago, MIPS looked like a legacy IP vendor running out of road. Today, under GlobalFoundries, it is buying Synopsys’ Arc processor business. MIPS is no longer just a RISC-V turnaround story; it is becoming a multi-architecture IP platform aimed squarely at physical AI, automotive, and embedded control. (Source: MIPS) MIPS, now operating within GlobalFoundries, is acquiring the Arc processor IP business from Synopsys. While the industry has focused on GlobalFoundries’ acquisition of MIPS as a bet on RISC-V, the Arc transaction makes clear that the real ambition is broader: to assemble a vertically integrated, multi-architecture compute IP portfolio tightly coupled

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MIPS comes back armed

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