Fables semiconductor design industry sees 6% QoQ revenue growth in 1Q25, driven by AI demand

The global fables semiconductor IC design industry  industry recorded a revenue of US$77.4 billion in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting a 6% quarter-on-quarter increase and a new record high, according to TrendForce. The growth was driven by early stocking in anticipation of new U.S. tariffs on electronics and sustained demand for chips due to the global expansion of AI data centers, despite the traditional off-season.
NVIDIA maintained its position as the leading IC design company, generating $42.3 billion in Q1 revenue, a 12% QoQ and 72% YoY increase, primarily due to growing shipments of its Blackwell platform. However, its H20 chip faces challenges from updated U.S. export controls, potentially leading to losses in Q2, though the higher-margin Blackwell platform is expected to gradually replace the Hopper platform.
AMD, ranked fourth, reported $7.44 billion in revenue, down 3% QoQ due to weaker performance in its data center, gaming, and embedded product segments, though revenue grew 36% YoY. AMD plans to begin mass production of its MI350 platform in the second half of 2025 and launch the MI400 in 2026, positioning itself to compete with NVIDIA’s Blackwell and Rubin AI chips.
Broadcom, in third place, achieved a record $8.34 billion in semiconductor revenue in Q2, up 15% YoY. The company expanded its high-speed interconnect solutions for AI serve...