BrainChip Expands Global Reach, Announces Akida Boards and AI Development Kits Available at DigiKey

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif. – September 18, 2025 – BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN, OTCQX: BRCHF, ADR: BCHPY), the worldwide leader in ultra-low power, on-chip AI processing and learning, today announced a distribution partnership with DigiKey, a leading global electronic components distributor. This collaboration introduces three key development board-level products that feature the Akida AI accelerator chip, a neuromorphic chip inspired by the brain’s architecture. These boards are now accessible to a wider audience of students, makers, embedded developers, and AI/ML engineers looking to implement advanced AI at the edge.

Being part of the DigiKey ecosystem allows BrainChip to make its Akida™ neuromorphic AI hardware easily accessible to a global community of developers. This streamlined availability not only accelerates innovation by enabling faster prototyping and reducing time-to-market but also broadens BrainChip’s reach, positioning the company as a central player in the next generation of intelligent edge AI devices.

DigiKey is a trusted name in the electronics industry, known for its extensive portfolio of semiconductors, development kits, and AI solutions. Listing BrainChip products in this ecosystem increases visibility and makes it easier for customers to order, experiment with, and deploy Akida technology alongside their existing components.

These products are now available for purchase through DigiKey’s global marketplace:

AKD1000 PCIe Development Board

DigiKey part number 6278-BD-PCIE-AKD10-ND

Akida AKD1000 PCIe Card accelerates CNN-based neural network models using BrainChip’s ultra energy-efficient, and purely digital, event-based processing architecture. The Akida AKD1000 PCIe can be paired with existing Single-Board Computers or any standard PCIe adapter to enable model development on target, demonstrations and AI applications.

Akida 1000 M.2 B+M Key Card

DigiKey part number 6278-AKD1000M2BM-ND

Akida M.2 E Key Card

DigiKey part number 6278-AKD1000M2E-ND

The Akida M.2 AKD1000 can be paired with existing Single-Board Computers to enable edge AI applications. Its low power consumption supports the creation of very compact, low-power, portable and intelligent devices for remote sensors in healthcare, enterprise, industrial, smart office, smart retail and AIoT applications. The Akida Runtime software manages network processing to fully utilize available resources and can automatically partition execution into multiple passes.  

In addition to the three products available through BrainChip’s Supplier Center, a Neuromorphic Raspberry Pi 5 development kit has been created on the DigiKey marketplace to simplify development. This comprehensive kit is designed for developers to get started quickly with event-based AI. It features the Raspberry Pi 5 and the Akida AKD1000 M.2 Board, along with all the necessary components for a complete neuromorphic AI system. The kit is built around the AKD1000 M.2 Board.

Find more information on our development kit here: https://brainchip.com/brainchip-now-available-on-digikey-accelerating-ai-at-the-edge

Akida’s unique event-based processing technology mimics the human brain, analyzing only essential sensor inputs at the point of acquisition. This results in unparalleled efficiency, precision, and energy economy, making it ideal for real-time edge applications in sectors such as consumer electronics, industrial IoT, and autonomous systems.

About BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN, OTCQX: BRCHF)

BrainChip is the worldwide leader in ultra-low power, on-chip AI processing and learning. The company’s first-to-market, fully digital, event-based AI processor, Akida™, uses neuromorphic principles to mimic the human brain. It analyzes only essential sensor inputs at the point of acquisition, processing data with unmatched efficiency, precision, and energy economy. Akida’s Temporal Event-based Neural Networks (TENNs) build on State-Space Models (SSMs) with time-sensitive, event-driven frameworks that are ideal for real-time streaming applications. These innovations make low-power Edge AI deployable across industries such as aerospace, autonomous vehicles, robotics, industrial IoT, consumer devices, and wearables. BrainChip is advancing the future of intelligent computing, bringing AI closer to the sensor and closer to real-time. Explore more at www.brainchip.com.

About DigiKey

DigiKey, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is recognized as the global leader and continuous innovator in the high-service distribution of electronic components and automation products worldwide. As the original pioneer in providing instant access to more than a million products for electronic innovation and product design, DigiKey has broadened its portfolio to offer over 14.9 million electronic components from more than 2,400 quality, brand-name manufacturers. Beyond DigiKey.com, this product offering is available with a breadth of digital solutions to provide designers with the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and curated resources available. Additional information and access to the world’s largest inventory of electronic components can be found by visiting www.digikey.com and on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.