Qualcomm Buys Arduino, Will Bring AI Tools to Your DIY Tech Projects

1 month ago 5

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Qualcomm wants to expand accessibility to its technologies, and its next step in that mission is buying popular open-source computing company Arduino.

The platform, popular with tech hobbyists for powering DIY computing projects, is set to become part of Qualcomm's business, but its unique brand will remain for its own products.

Qualcomm says this deal will "supercharge developer productivity across industries," while existing users will gain access to its "powerful technology stack and global reach."

Arduino products are popular with makers, as they combine hardware and software, alongside access to a large community of like-minded users. Arduino says its community includes over 33 million developers, including students, professionals, educators, hobbyists, and more.

As part of the announcement, Arduino is introducing its latest single-board computer, featuring a “dual brain” architecture—a Linux Debian-capable microprocessor and a real-time microcontroller. It will be powered by one of Qualcomm's industry-focused processors, the Dragonwing QRB2210.

Arduino Uno Q (Credit: Qualcomm)

The Arduino Uno Q is designed to help developers easily access AI functionality for projects that interact with audio and visual cues from their environment, particularly smart home tools.

With 2GB of RAM and 16GB of eMMC storage, the Uno Q costs $44, while a 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage version costs $59. The cheaper version is now up for preorder with an Oct. 25 release date; the larger version will go on sale later this year, with preorders set for November.

“UNO Q is designed to become the go‑to tool for every developer—accessible, versatile, and ready for lifelong learning and innovation," Qualcomm says.

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The chip maker is also introducing a new tool called Arduino App Lab to better unify development across Real-time OS, Linux, Python, and AI tools. The brand says this will make development faster and easier.

“Our passion for simplicity, affordability, and community gave rise to a movement that changed technology,” says Massimo Banzi, co-founder of Arduino. “By joining Qualcomm Technologies, we’ll bring cutting-edge AI tools to our community while staying true to what has always mattered most to us.”

"The launch of UNO Q is just the beginning— we’re excited to empower our global community with powerful tools that make AI development intuitive, scalable, and open to everyone," adds Fabio Violante, CEO of Arduino.

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