What Deepwave Digital does

Deepwave Digital, Inc. is a Philadelphia-based private company (founded 2017; 11–50 employees) that builds integrated hardware and software infrastructure for embedding artificial intelligence directly into radio frequency (RF) and wireless systems. Its flagship hardware product, AIR-T (Air Transceiver), is positioned as the world's first software-defined radio designed specifically for RF and wireless deep learning, and is offered in three form factors: Edge Series (ruggedized), Embedded Series (enterprise), and Flight Series (flight-proven for military aircraft). The companion software stack, AirStack, consists of three modules—AirStack Core (operating system), AirStack Edge (remote application management), and AirStack BitStream (FPGA toolkit)—that together manage AI and signal-processing workloads on AIR-T hardware and on expanding third-party RF platforms.

The company generates revenue through enterprise hardware sales of AIR-T units and software licenses for AirStack, sold via direct quote-based B2B engagement rather than public pricing, implying multi-year enterprise contracts typical of defense and industrial customers. The go-to-market combines enterprise field sales (Request a Quote / Contact Us CTAs) with a community-led developer motion anchored by a documentation portal, tutorials spanning Python, Rust, Go, TensorRT, and GNU Radio, and open-source repositories. The customer base is heavily weighted toward Avionics/Defense, with a marquee Raytheon (RTX) relationship that culminated in December 2024 flight testing of the first AI/ML-powered Radar Warning Receiver (CADS) on F-16s, with procurement across multiple platforms expected to begin in early 2025. Additional target segments include Industrial IoT, Wireless Communications (5G/6G), and Electronics/R&D.

Deepwave has raised approximately $7.08M cumulatively across disclosed rounds (including 2018, 2019, 2020 with strategic investor Northrop Grumman, and 2024–2025 Reg D exempt offerings), is led by CEO John Ferguson, and operates from its headquarters at 1429 Walnut Street, Suite 1000, Philadelphia, PA. The company's strategic investor base (Northrop Grumman, Jumpstart NJ Angel Network, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Robin Hood Ventures, Starburst Accelerator) and the Raytheon flight-test milestone position it as a niche but technically validated player in cognitive electronic warfare and edge RF AI.

Name

Deepwave Digital

Legal name

Deepwave Digital, Inc.

Website

https://deepwavedigital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Deepwave Digital builds integrated hardware (AIR-T software-defined radios) and software (AirStack) for embedding AI directly into radio frequency systems, primarily serving defense, avionics, industrial IoT, and wireless communications customers through enterprise B2B sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Software-Defined Radio Hardware

NAICS

Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334220)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663)

akta.pro primary industry

Avionics Communication Systems (VHF/UHF/SATCOM/Data Link) (IMABAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Satellite, GNSS & Positioning RF ICs (HDAHAMAJ), RF Switches, Tuners & Antenna Tuning ICs (HDAHAMAD), Microwave & RF Signal Chain ICs (Mixers/Detectors/Attenuators) (HDAHAMAL)

Keywords

• Software-defined radio
• RF deep learning
• Signal processing hardware
• AI edge computing
• Avionics RF intelligence

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales (AIR-T SDR): Sale of software-defined radio hardware platforms including Edge Series, Embedded Series, and Flight Series products for RF intelligence applications
2. Software Licenses (AirStack): AirStack software suite including Edge, Core, and BitStream components. Software manages AI and signal processing applications, likely sold as licenses with updates and support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Deepwave Digital manufactures the AIR-T (Air Transceiver), the world's first software-defined radio purpose-built for radio frequency (RF) and wireless deep learning, and sells the AirStack software suite (Edge, Core, BitStream) that manages AI and signal processing applications on Deepwave edge hardware. Its integrated platform delivers low-latency RF intelligence extraction for avionics, autonomous systems, industrial IoT, and 5G/6G wireless applications.

Product overview

Deepwave Digital offers an integrated platform-plus-modules architecture combining AirStack software and AIR-T hardware for RF intelligence applications. The AirStack software suite (Edge, Core, BitStream) manages AI and signal processing on Deepwave's AIR-T software-defined radios, which come in three hardware series: Edge (ruggedized), Embedded (enterprise), and Flight (flight-proven). The company provides solutions for airborne intelligence, radio intelligence agents, and RF ML for edge deployments. Their products are designed for avionics, autonomous systems, industrial IoT, and wireless communications applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AirStack: Deepwave's AirStack software manages AI and signal processing applications on Deepwave edge hardware, including AirStack Edge (Remote Application Management), AirStack Core (Operating System), and AirStack BitStream (FPGA Toolkit)
• AIR-T

Products and services

• AIR-T Software-Defined Radio Hardware The AIR-T (Air Transceiver) is Deepwave's flagship software-defined radio platform purpose-built for RF and wireless deep learning, available in Edge Series (ruggedized RF intelligence for demanding edge environments), Embedded Series (enterprise RF intelligence for embedded applications), and Flight Series (flight-proven RF intelligence certified for aircraft deployment). It is sold to defense, industrial, communications, and R&D customers.
• AirStack Software Suite AirStack is Deepwave's software suite that manages AI and signal processing applications on Deepwave edge hardware and expanding RF ecosystem platforms, comprising AirStack Edge (remote application management), AirStack Core (operating system), and AirStack BitStream (FPGA toolkit). It is sold alongside AIR-T hardware to developers, integrators, defense, and industrial customers.
• CADS (Cognitive Aircraft Defense System) CADS is an AI/ML-powered Radar Warning Receiver system that combines embedded GPU technology with Deepwave Digital's computing stack to sense, identify, and prioritize radar threats for fourth-generation aircraft (F-16s). It is built for defense prime contractors and military operators to increase aircrew survivability.
• Airborne Intelligence Solution A packaged Deepwave solution for airspace navigation and awareness in avionics applications, leveraging AIR-T hardware and AirStack software for airborne RF intelligence.
• Radio Intelligence Agent An AI-powered Deepwave solution that automates RF signal intelligence and analysis for defense and industrial customers.
• RF ML for Edge A packaged solution enabling machine learning inference on RF signals at the edge, intended for industrial IoT, autonomous systems, and communications deployments.
• RF ML Model Training A Deepwave solution for training machine learning models on RF signal data, complementing its edge inference offerings for defense, industrial, and communications customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Flight testing successfully completed on F-16s at Air National Guard test range (December 2024)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Raytheon (RTX)coreTechnology or Integration · 24 February 2025Raytheon's defense division successfully completed flight testing on the first-ever AI/ML-powered Radar Warning Receiver system (CADS) for fourth-generation aircraft, combining embedded GPU technology with Deepwave Digital's computing stack. The system was tested on F-16s at the Air National Guard test range in Arizona in December 2024, employing cognitive methods to sense, identify and prioritize threats. CADS is expected to begin procurement across multiple platforms in early 2025.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DeepSig: Direct peer applying machine learning to RF/wireless signal processing. Both companies sit at the intersection of SDR and AI for spectrum intelligence, making them the closest direct comparable in product and customer overlap.
• Per Vices: Direct peer offering high-performance SDR platforms (Cyan, Crimson, Noctar) used in defense, communications, and spectrum monitoring. Competes head-to-head with AIR-T for embedded and edge RF intelligence deployments.

Broad incumbents

• Ettus Research (National Instruments / NI): Established incumbent in software-defined radio hardware (USRP family) used widely in RF R&D and prototyping. Competes with AIR-T in the broader SDR market, especially in 5G/6G research and academic labs, but does not focus on deep learning inference.
• Mercury Systems: Public defense electronics incumbent providing RF and microwave subsystems for EW and avionics. Comparable as a broad supplier into the same defense primes that Deepwave targets, with overlapping avionics/EW end markets.
• L3Harris Technologies: Major defense prime with significant electronic warfare, SIGINT, and avionics communication portfolios. Competes indirectly via internal RF AI capabilities and is a potential integrator/customer for Deepwave's technology.
• Anduril Industries: Well-funded defense tech company building AI-driven autonomous systems and sensor payloads. Overlaps with Deepwave in AI-for-defense and RF/spectrum sensing, though operating at much broader scope and scale.
• BAE Systems: Global defense incumbent with major EW, avionics, and communications businesses. Competes indirectly with Deepwave in defense RF AI and electronic warfare, while also serving as a potential large customer or partner.

Emerging players

• Shield AI: Emerging defense AI player focused on autonomous aircraft and ISR. Overlaps with Deepwave's avionics and RF intelligence solutions for defense applications, particularly in cognitive sensing on airborne platforms.
• HawkEye 360: Emerging player in RF signal intelligence from space-based satellite clusters. Comparable in the RF intelligence category but operates in the satellite/SIGINT domain rather than edge/embedded avionics.
• CesiumAstro: Emerging player building multi-beam satellite communication payloads and RF systems. Overlaps with Deepwave in advanced RF hardware for aerospace/defense, though focused on space-based platforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/deepwavedigital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors9 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Deepwave Digital