Cadence signs new partnership with Japan-based Rapidus for advanced SoC development through agentic AI
Building an advanced AI chip isn’t just about designing faster processors anymore. Modern SoCs require engineers to juggle everything from architecture and manufacturing to packaging and system integration, making the entire process increasingly difficult to manage. Rapidus and Cadence believe agentic AI could be the missing piece that ties all of these stages together.
The two companies have announced a collaboration that brings the Cadence InnoStack AI Super Agent into the Rapidus AI-Agentic Design Solution (Raads), creating a more AI-driven workflow for advanced-node semiconductor development. By combining Cadence’s AI-powered design orchestration with Rapidus’ AI-native design and manufacturing ecosystem, the partnership aims to improve engineering productivity while reducing design turnaround time (TAT) by as much as 2x compared to conventional development flows.
Unlike traditional AI tools that focus on speeding up individual tasks, the InnoStack AI Super Agent is designed to coordinate entire design workflows. It can assist teams from the earliest architectural planning stages all the way through implementation and final signoff, helping engineers navigate increasingly complex chip projects with less manual coordination.
To complement the integration, Rapidus is also expanding the Raads platform with two new components: Raads Navigator and Raads Indicator. These tools are designed to help engineers identify design issues earlier, improve quality assurance, and provide additional guidance throughout the development process. Together with the Cadence AI Super Agent, they form a connected design environment where AI continuously analyzes data across multiple stages of the chip design lifecycle.
The companies say this approach becomes increasingly important as demand grows for AI infrastructure and physical AI systems such as robotics, autonomous machines, and digital twins. These workloads require far more sophisticated semiconductor designs, making workflow automation and intelligent design orchestration more valuable than ever.
Cadence President and CEO Anirudh Devgan said future advanced-node SoC development will depend on AI agents that can manage complex workflows rather than simply optimize isolated design tasks. Integrating InnoStack with the Rapidus ecosystem, he noted, helps customers accelerate design closure while bringing advanced silicon to market faster.
Rapidus CEO Dr. Atsuyoshi Koike echoed that vision, highlighting the company’s upcoming Innovative Integration for Manufacturing facility, which is being developed as an AI-native foundry where artificial intelligence plays a role throughout semiconductor manufacturing. He said integrating Cadence’s AI technologies into Raads will strengthen Rapidus’ design environment, helping customers handle growing chip complexity while improving engineering efficiency.
Rapidus and Cadence are expected to discuss the collaboration in greater detail during CadenceLIVE Japan 2026, where Koike will present how the evolving Raads platform and Cadence’s AI-powered electronic design automation technologies are helping shape the future of advanced-node chip development.
