OPPSTAR BERHAD (OPPSTAR)

OPPSTAR BERHAD — Malaysia's Premier Contract IC Design House

OPPSTAR BERHAD (Bursa: 0275) is Malaysia's largest contract IC (Integrated Circuit) design house and the first pure-play chip designer to be listed on Bursa Malaysia. Unlike other semiconductor companies, OPPSTAR designs chips — it does not manufacture them. This business model is known as fabless IC design, where the company relies on third-party foundries such as TSMC and Samsung for the physical manufacturing process.

Founded by veteran engineers from Malaysia's semiconductor industry, OPPSTAR demonstrates that Malaysia can compete at the highest levels of the global semiconductor value chain — not merely as a host for packaging and testing plants, but as an advanced chip designer working at process nodes as fine as 3nm.

What Does OPPSTAR Actually Do?

Think of OPPSTAR as an architectural firm for computer chips. Clients — technology companies from China, Japan, Taiwan, and Malaysia — come with an idea or product requirement, and OPPSTAR transforms it into a functional chip design, then delivers the design files to a foundry for physical fabrication.

Core services include:

• Front-End IC Design — Logic and RTL (Register Transfer Level) design, simulation, and functional verification
• Back-End IC Design — Physical design, floor planning, timing closure, and manufacturing-ready file preparation
• Turnkey IC Design — Complete end-to-end solution from concept to finished chip, including foundry management and chip delivery
• Post-Silicon Validation — Testing and verification after chips are physically manufactured
• IC Design Training — Professional development programmes for semiconductor engineers

Chip types designed include CPUs, SoCs (System-on-Chip), ASICs, FPGAs, AI chips, and NPUs (Neural Processing Units) across process nodes from 20nm to 3nm — a range demonstrating world-class technical capability.

Business Segments

Subsidiaries and Related Entities

• Oppstar Technology Sdn Bhd — Primary operating entity in Malaysia
• Oppstar Microelectronics Sdn Bhd — Focus on specialised semiconductor projects
• AIRIS Labs — Joint venture vehicle for AI chip development, anchoring ARM CSS and AI edge chip projects
• Alpha Core (Japan) — Japanese subsidiary enabling market entry into Japan and East Asia

The IPO Story — A Spectacular Debut

OPPSTAR listed on Bursa Malaysia ACE Market in March 2023 at an IPO price of RM0.63. On its first trading day, the stock surged +286% — making it the best IPO debut of 2023 on Bursa Malaysia. The company raised over RM100 million from the IPO, providing substantial working capital to expand operations and pursue new AI chip opportunities.

Key Corporate Actions

• 📌 Samsung Partnership (April 2024): OPPSTAR gained access to Samsung's 14nm FinFET foundry process for its clients — opening fabrication options for chips designed by OPPSTAR beyond TSMC
• 📌 ARM Malaysia Partnership (Late 2024/2025): OPPSTAR was named a first-phase beneficiary of the Malaysia-ARM national deal. This grants privileged access to ARM IP (Intellectual Property) and ARM Compute Subsystems (CSS) for AI chip development — a strategically significant advantage in the AI era
• 📌 Inventec + AsicAI MoU (September 2025): Memorandum of Understanding to co-develop an AI edge processor with Taiwan's Inventec and AsicAI through the ARM CSS programme. Note: MoU only — not yet a binding contract
• 📌 Japanese AI Chip Contract (March 2026): A SIGNED CONTRACT worth USD2.9 million (~RM13.7 million) from a Yokohama-based technology venture. OPPSTAR will design a reconfigurable AI chip over a 20-month development period, with milestone-based payments plus volume licensing fees

Leadership

• Ng Meng Thai — Chief Executive Officer (CEO), leads business strategy and client development
• Cheah Hun Wah — Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), holding approximately 20-21% of the company's shares — reflecting strong founder conviction in the company's future

Insider Ownership and Shariah Status

Total insider ownership stands at 63-64% — exceptionally high for a listed company. This means founders and management have substantial skin in the game, with interests closely aligned to minority shareholders.

✅ Shariah Status: COMPLIANT — OPPSTAR BERHAD is a confirmed Shariah-compliant investment, suitable for Muslim investors who prioritise halal investing.

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