From its early roots to 2026: the Nordic Semiconductor story

Nordic Semiconductor was founded in Trondheim, Norway, in 1983 as Nordic VLSI by Jan Meyer, Frank Berntsen, Trond Sæther and Oddvar Aaserud, beginning with ASIC design services.

How Nordic Semiconductor developed

The company changed its name to Nordic Semiconductor in 2003 and became particularly influential in low-power wireless connectivity. Its early Bluetooth Low Energy products helped position it strongly as connected sensors, wearables and IoT devices expanded.

Nordic Semiconductor in 2026

By 2026, Nordic designed low-power wireless chips and software for Bluetooth LE, cellular IoT, Wi-Fi and related embedded-connectivity applications.

Why the history matters

Nordic’s history shows how a specialised semiconductor supplier can build an ecosystem around reference designs, developer tools and power efficiency rather than competing primarily in high-performance processors.

This profile was checked against company disclosures, regulatory filings and reputable independent or industry sources where applicable. Information reflects public material available on 18 September 2026.