Report: MediaTek ASIC secures "second-largest client" besides Google, expected to be Meta

MediaTek's customer landscape in the custom chip sector is quietly expanding.

According to the latest information from DIGITIMES, MediaTek has confirmed it will secure a second major ASIC customer besides Google, with the industry widely speculating that the customer is Meta. At the same time, MediaTek's collaboration with Google continues to deepen, with the mass production timeline for several of its TPU products now extending to 2028–2029, providing stable revenue support for the company in the coming years.

These developments come just as Qualcomm has loudly announced its entry into the cloud AI market, formally shaping the ASIC competitive landscape between the two longstanding rivals.

Market observers believe that although Qualcomm has multiple cloud AI customers such as Meta, Microsoft, and even ByteDance, MediaTek is not at a disadvantage in the competition, thanks to its deep ties with Google and the potential landing of a second customer. If the ASIC business continues to expand, it may only be a matter of time before MediaTek's revenue reaches the tens of billions of dollars.

Deepening Collaboration with Google, TPU Orders Locked Through 2029

The ASIC collaboration between MediaTek and Google is the core pillar of its cloud AI business. According to industry sources familiar with the ASIC business, MediaTek currently holds two products codenamed Zebrafish and Humufish, and it is almost certain that MediaTek will also be involved in the ninth-generation TPU product, Triggerfish. This means that from the end of 2026 through 2028 and into 2029, MediaTek can continuously generate revenue from TPU mass production.

Semiconductor supply chain sources point out that among major cloud service providers (CSPs), Google remains the customer with the strongest willingness to procure ASICs and the most aggressive iteration pace. Once the mass production timeline is set, the related revenue scale and landing timing become highly predictable, which is significant for MediaTek's earnings stability.

Compared to Qualcomm's announced target of $15 billion in cloud AI revenue by 2029, industry insiders believe that with multiple TPU orders in hand, MediaTek is well-positioned to reach a revenue scale of tens of billions of dollars.

Second Customer Locked as Meta, Collaboration Focuses on AI Acceleration Chips

According to recent supply chain confirmations, MediaTek is actively collaborating with Meta on ASIC products, with the focus of the collaboration being AI acceleration chips.

It is worth noting that Meta had previously announced an AI acceleration chip collaboration with Broadcom, and also reached cooperation with Arm and Qualcomm in the CPU domain. However, supply chain sources indicate that these deals have not interrupted the ongoing project between MediaTek and Meta, suggesting that Meta prefers to develop products with multiple partners simultaneously.

Observers in the IC design industry note that Meta's cloud AI development strategy has appeared somewhat fragmented in recent years, with its in-house chip plans undergoing multiple adjustments and multiple different partners introduced for the CPU side. If MediaTek successfully locks in Meta as a customer, it will provide a significant boost to the subsequent growth of its ASIC business.

MediaTek Focuses on ASIC, Diverging from Qualcomm's Strategic Path

Facing Qualcomm's aggressive entry into the cloud AI market with its Dragonfly platform, the competitive strategies of the two companies show a clear divergence.

IC design industry sources point out that Qualcomm is taking a path that combines customization and standardization, covering both AI accelerator chips and CPU product lines, with a more diverse customer base. MediaTek, on the other hand, is concentrating its resources on the ASIC business, focusing deeply on the custom chip track.

The industry believes that this strategic difference means the competition between the two is not a full-frontal confrontation. For MediaTek, as long as it solidifies its core large customer Google on the ASIC side and successfully develops second-tier customers like Meta, its competitive foundation will not fall into a disadvantage.

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