KEY POINTS
- US chipmaker Marvell jumped 32% in a single session after Nvidia’s CEO called it a possible “next trillion-dollar company,” lifting AI chip stocks worldwide.
- Australian investors can play the same AI hardware trend through three ASX tech names.
- The three: Weebit Nano (ASX: WBT) in next-generation memory, Archer Materials (ASX: AXE) in quantum computing, and BrainChip (ASX: BRN) in brain-like “edge” AI chips.
- All three are early-stage and high-risk, with little revenue today, so they suit growth investors comfortable with volatility, not the cautious.
The AI chip boom keeps minting new winners. This week, US chipmaker Marvell Technology (NASDAQ:MRVL) jumped 32% in a single session after Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang called it a possible “next trillion-dollar company” at the Computex tech conference, helping send the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index up nearly 6%. For Australian investors watching from afar, the obvious question is whether the ASX offers any way to play the same trend. The answer is yes. None of these names is the next Nvidia, but three small-to-mid cap ASX tech stocks are building real technology for the AI era. Here is how they stack up.
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What are the Best ASX Stocks to invest in right now?
Weebit Nano (ASX:WBT)
Weebit is tackling one of computing’s quietest problems: memory. Its ReRAM technology stores data by changing resistance at the atomic level, which makes it faster, more energy efficient and easier to build directly onto chips than the older Flash memory most devices still use. That matters for AI, where power and speed are everything.
The company has grown into a business worth more than A$1 billion and is working with global chipmakers, including onsemi and DB HiTek, to get its technology into real products. The opportunity is large, but Weebit still earns very little revenue today, so investors are paying for future promise rather than current profit.
Archer Materials (ASX:AXE)
Archer is chasing an even bigger prize: quantum computing. Most quantum machines must be kept extremely cold to work, but Archer’s carbon-based chip is designed to run at room temperature, which could make it far cheaper and easier to use.
On Thursday, the shares rose 7.7% after the company said its quantum software correctly spotted fraud in a test, flagging only one false alarm across 118 fraudulent transactions. It is exciting science, but this is still early-stage and speculative. Archer makes almost no revenue, so the story depends entirely on turning lab results into commercial products.
Brainchip (ASX:BRN)
Brainchip builds “neuromorphic” chips that work a little like the human brain, processing information on the device itself instead of sending it to the cloud. That means AI that runs in real time using very little power, which is useful for drones, sensors, robotics and defence gear. Its Akida processor has already drawn interest from big names, including a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, and the company expects to start initial production of about 70,000 of its AKD1500 chips in the third quarter of 2026.
The catch is that Brainchip is still tiny, with a market value near A$455 million and limited revenue, so it sits in the tricky gap between promise and proof.
What does it mean for the ASX investors
None of these is a like-for-like Marvell, and all three carry the high risk that comes with early-stage technology. But each offers local exposure to a different corner of the AI hardware story: memory, quantum computing and edge processing. For growth investors comfortable with volatility, they are worth watching, especially if the global chip rally keeps lifting sentiment. More cautious investors may prefer to wait for clearer signs of revenue before buying in.
