FADU
FADU is a fabless semiconductor company designing PCIe Gen5.0 SSD controllers and customizable NVMe firmware optimized for AI data center storage workloads, serving NAND flash memory manufacturers, hyperscale data center operators, and system integrators globally from Seoul and Silicon Valley.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersYeoksamdong, South Korea
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What FADU does
FADU is a fabless semiconductor company founded in 2015, headquartered in Seoul (Gangnam district), South Korea, with a regional office in Santa Clara, California. The company designs PCIe Gen5.0 SSD controllers and NVMe 2.0 firmware targeting AI data center storage workloads, including the ECHO XDW223 controller (PCIe Gen5.0 x4, OCP Datacenter NVMe SSD 2.0, 64 Physical Functions, Flexible Data Placement) and the FC5161 controller (PCIe 5.0 with power-optimized design). Supporting capabilities include a Self Power Monitoring feature for data center TCO reduction and a CXL Solutions product line for next-generation memory interconnect.
The company operates a three-tier business model. First, FADU sells SSD controllers and customizable firmware directly to NAND flash memory manufacturers and system integrators who embed the IP into their own branded drives. Second, it provides a turnkey SSD solution combining controller IP, customizable firmware, Bill-of-Materials, and technical support to accelerate customer time-to-market. Third, it offers private-label manufacturing where customers consign flash memory and FADU produces finished branded SSDs, earning manufacturing and engineering margin on the consigned inventory. Pricing is contract-based and not publicly disclosed. The customer base spans AI data center operators, NAND flash memory manufacturers, and system integrators across Korea, North America, Taiwan, and China.
FADU secured a KRW 12 billion (USD 9.2 million) pre-IPO funding round in March 2023 at a KRW 1 trillion post-money valuation, becoming the first Korean unicorn of 2023; the company is currently listed on KOSDAQ under ticker 440110. After recording an operating loss of KRW 61.7 billion in fiscal 2025 on revenue of KRW 92.4 billion (more than double the prior year), the company returned to profitability in Q1 2026 with KRW 59.5 billion quarterly revenue, KRW 7.7 billion operating income, and KRW 10.2 billion net income. Named strategic customers and partners include Meta (co-development of the Yosemite V5 platform showcased at OCP Global Summit 2025), ADATA, GigaComputing, and Taiwan-based distributor Macnica Galaxy, whose KRW 47 billion SSD order in Q1 2026 exceeded the company's prior full-year annual revenue at the time of announcement.
FADU firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FADU
- Legal name
- FADU Co., Ltd.
- Website
- https://fadu.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- FADU is a fabless semiconductor company designing PCIe Gen5.0 SSD controllers and customizable NVMe firmware optimized for AI data center storage workloads, serving NAND flash memory manufacturers, hyperscale data center operators, and system integrators globally from Seoul and Silicon Valley.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FADU industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Semiconductor SSD Controllers
- NAICS
- Computer Storage Device Manufacturing (334112), Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing (334413), Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (3344)
- SIC
- Computer Storage Devices (3572), Electronic Computers (3571)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Storage & Interface Controllers (SSD/NVMe/UFS/USB/PCIe) (HDAHABAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Internal Storage Devices (HDD & SSD) (HDACACAA), Internal Storage Components (SSD/HDD, M.2, controllers) (HDACAGAH), PCB Assembly (PCBA/EMS) (HDAHAOAI), Embedded & Managed NAND (eMMC/UFS/eMCP) (HDAHAKAG)
Keywords
Where FADU is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Yeoksamdong
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
FADU business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- SSD Controller Sales: FADU sells its proprietary PCIe SSD controllers to NAND flash memory manufacturers and system integrators who embed them in their own SSD products. Controllers are sold as IC components along with associated firmware IP.
- Finished SSD Products: FADU manufactures and sells complete, branded SSD solutions (controllers + firmware + NAND) to data center operators and enterprise customers, either as FADU-branded or private-label products. The company consigns customer flash or procures NAND to build finished drives.
- Firmware Customization & Licensing: FADU licenses and customizes its storage firmware to customers who wish to differentiate their SSD products, providing firmware development and adaptation services as part of the turnkey offering.
- Private Label / Consignment Manufacturing: Customers consign flash to FADU, which manufactures and packages private-labeled SSDs for sale by the customer. FADU earns manufacturing margin on the consigned flash and added value.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B enterprise pricing — SSD controllers, firmware packages, and finished SSDs sold via direct negotiation. |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
FADU product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FADU designs and sells proprietary PCIe Gen5.0 SSD controller silicon (ECHO XDW223 and FC5161), customizable NVMe 2.0 firmware, and finished SSD products optimized for AI data center workloads. The company offers its technology through three engagement models: direct controller/firmware IP sales to NAND flash manufacturers, turnkey SSD design and build services with full BOM and technical support, and private-label SSD manufacturing where customers consign flash memory to FADU for branded production.
Product overview
FADU is a fabless semiconductor company offering a comprehensive portfolio of SSD controllers and storage solutions. The product lineup includes PCIe 5.0 SSD controllers (FC5161), finished SSD products (ECHO XDW223), and supporting product lines for Power Solutions and CXL Solutions. FADU provides these through multiple engagement models: direct controller/firmware sales for customers building their own SSDs, turnkey solutions combining design services with controllers and BOM, and private label manufacturing where FADU produces customer-branded SSDs. The company operates as a flash storage technology innovator and supply chain disruptor.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ECHO XDW223 PCIe 5.0 SSD PCIe Gen5.0 x4 NVMe 2.0 SSD product with OCP Datacenter NVMe SSD 2.0 support, 64 Physical Functions, and Flexible Data Placement (FDP), optimized for AI data center applications.
- FC5161 PCIe 5.0 SSD Controller PCIe 5.0 SSD controller supporting NVMe 2.0 and OCP Datacenter NVMe SSD 2.0 across multiple form factors and capacities, designed for optimized power performance in enterprise storage deployments.
- SSD Controller Solutions Product line of advanced SSD controllers and customizable firmware available to power customer SSD designs with differentiation through firmware customization.
- SSD Solutions Complete SSD solutions including turnkey manufacturing and private label options for customers building enterprise storage products.
- Power Solutions Power optimization solutions for SSD and storage applications, including Self Power Monitoring for data center power consumption tracking and TCO reduction.
- CXL Solutions Compute Express Link (CXL) solutions for memory expansion and heterogeneous computing in AI data centers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Q1 2026 revenue of KRW 59.5 billion with KRW 7.7 billion operating income and KRW 10.2 billion net income — returned to profitability from a loss position.
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use FADU
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
FADU technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
FADU partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Meta (AI Data Center SSD Collaboration)flagshipFADU collaborated with Meta in August 2025 to launch next-generation SSD solutions for AI data centers. This collaboration was highlighted in market research as a key development in the data center storage market, validating FADU's technology for AI workloads at hyperscale.
- MetaflagshipFADU partnered with Meta at the OCP Global Summit 2025 in San Jose to jointly showcase next-generation SSD technology optimized for AI data centers. FADU controller technology powers Meta's Yosemite V5 modular storage server platform, representing a deep co-development and validation relationship with a major hyperscale operator.
- ADATAcoreFADU partnered with Taiwan-based ADATA and GigaComputing at OCP Global Summit 2025 to jointly unveil a server system equipped with SSDs built on FADU controller technology. ADATA provides system integration and brand reach for enterprise storage products powered by FADU IP.
- GigaComputingcoreGigaComputing partnered with FADU and ADATA at OCP Global Summit 2025 to integrate FADU-powered SSDs into server system platforms. GigaComputing contributes system-level integration expertise for AI data center deployments.
- Macnica GalaxycoreTaiwan-based Macnica Galaxy is a key distribution channel partner for FADU, purchasing finished SSDs for resale to data center customers. In January 2026, Macnica Galaxy placed a record KRW 47 billion order with FADU, exceeding FADU's total annual revenue at the time.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
FADU competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Phison Electronics: Taiwan-based fabless designer of NAND flash controllers and SSD solutions, the closest direct competitor to FADU in merchant PCIe/NVMe SSD controllers for both consumer and enterprise/AI data center segments.
- Marvell Technology: Broad-line semiconductor company whose data center storage business supplies PCIe NVMe SSD controllers and controllers for custom hyperscaler SSD programs, directly competing with FADU's Gen5 enterprise SSD controllers.
- Silicon Motion Technology: Leading fabless merchant NAND flash controller supplier (SSD and eMMC/UFS controllers), competing head-to-head with FADU for SSD controller sockets at NAND vendors and SSD OEMs in the AI/data center market.
Broad incumbents
- SK hynix: Korean NAND and SSD manufacturer whose own SSD controller/firmware programs (including Solidigm) compete with FADU in the enterprise/data center SSD market and pressure the merchant controller opportunity.
- Micron Technology: Vertically integrated NAND/DRAM and SSD manufacturer with its own controller team (formerly Micron's storage business); competes with FADU as both an integrated SSD supplier and as a potential buyer of third-party controller IP.
- Kioxia: Japanese NAND flash vendor and SSD supplier with proprietary PCIe Gen5 SSD products that compete with FADU's reference designs and that could either buy or bypass merchant controller IP.
- Western Digital / Sandisk: Major NAND/SSD supplier with proprietary controllers; a direct competitor to FADU in enterprise and data center SSDs and a strategic buyer of merchant controller IP when internal silicon doesn't meet a generation.
- Samsung Memory Division: Vertically integrated NAND and SSD supplier with proprietary controllers that competes with FADU's merchant controller IP when NAND suppliers choose internal silicon over third-party controllers.
Emerging players
- ScaleFlux: US-based fabless startup with computational storage and enterprise SSD controllers, a fellow emerging PCIe Gen5 controller competitor overlapping with FADU in the AI/data center tier.
Others
- Macnica Galaxy: Taiwan-based semiconductor distributor and FADU's largest channel customer (KRW 47B record SSD order); included as a channel partner/distributor in FADU's GTM rather than a direct competitor, but key to FADU's distribution scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
FADU social profiles
Digital presenceFADU financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FADU leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
FADU funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FADU M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FADU
What does FADU do?
FADU designs and sells proprietary PCIe Gen5.0 SSD controller silicon (ECHO XDW223 and FC5161), customizable NVMe 2.0 firmware, and finished SSD products optimized for AI data center workloads. The company offers its technology through three engagement models: direct controller/firmware IP sales to NAND flash manufacturers, turnkey SSD design and build services with full BOM and technical support, and private-label SSD manufacturing where customers consign flash memory to FADU for branded production.
Is FADU a public or private company?
FADU is a private company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was FADU founded?
FADU was founded in 2015. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is FADU based?
FADU is headquartered in Yeoksamdong, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does FADU make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. SSD Controller Sales are the primary driver. The others are finished SSD Products, firmware Customization & Licensing and private Label / Consignment Manufacturing.
Who are FADU's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Phison Electronics, Marvell Technology and Silicon Motion Technology. Broad incumbents are SK hynix, Micron Technology, Kioxia, Western Digital / Sandisk and Samsung Memory Division. ScaleFlux is listed as an emerging player. Macnica Galaxy is listed as an others.
Does FADU have an API?
No public API is recorded for FADU.
What industry is FADU in?
FADU's product category is Semiconductor SSD Controllers. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHABAG, Storage & Interface Controllers (SSD/NVMe/UFS/USB/PCIe), with a secondary code of HDACACAA, Internal Storage Devices (HDD & SSD). Its NAICS code is 334112 and its SIC code is 3572.