What Dover Microsystems does

Dover Microsystems, Inc. is a privately-held semiconductor IP company founded in 2017 and headquartered in the Greater Boston area (Waltham, MA). The company developed CoreGuard, a hardware-based cybersecurity solution delivered as silicon intellectual property that integrates with RISC processor architectures (Arm, MIPS, and RISC-V). CoreGuard operates as a separate, sentry logic bodyguard monitoring every instruction executed by the host processor against a defined set of updatable security, safety, and privacy rules called micropolicies. The technology originated in the DARPA CRASH program, was incubated at Draper Laboratory for 8+ years with $31M of R&D investment, and was demonstrated to be immune to the Heartbleed vulnerability in a February 2016 proof-of-concept.

The CoreGuard architecture comprises a hardware interlock that gates communication between the host processor and peripherals, a Policy Enforcer that checks every instruction against installed micropolicies, and the proprietary Dover Policy Language (DPL) that allows customers to write and formally verify their own security policies. The current CoreGuard design can be implemented in as few as 153K gates and operates at full processor speed. The platform includes a base set of micropolicies (Heap, Stack, RWX) plus optional micropolicies covering Control Flow Integrity, AI Data Integrity, Multi-level Security, and other security domains. CoreGuard claims to prevent exploitation of 96% of severe software vulnerabilities including zero-day attacks.

Dover licenses CoreGuard through a four-stage engagement model: Demo, Discover (free SDK evaluation), Design (fixed upfront license fee for IP integration), and Deploy (manufacturing royalties on production processors). The company generates revenue primarily through one-time Design license fees and recurring Deploy royalties, supplemented by custom micropolicy development services. Dover targets semiconductor companies designing SoCs and embedded processors, with named partnerships including NXP Semiconductors (first commercial customer), Cadence Design Systems (integration with Tensilica Xtensa LX7), Andes Technology (RISC-V cores), and Antmicro (Renode simulation platform). The company's first customer engagement dates to March 2017, predating the formal July 2017 spinout from Draper Laboratory.

Name

Dover Microsystems

Legal name

Dover Microsystems, Inc.

Website

https://dovermicrosystems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dover Microsystems licenses CoreGuard silicon IP to semiconductor companies designing RISC-based SoCs and embedded processors, providing hardware-enforced cybersecurity that monitors every instruction against updatable security, safety, and privacy micropolicies to prevent software vulnerability exploitation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Embedded Cybersecurity Silicon IP

NAICS

Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing (334413), Bare Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing (334412), Computer Storage Device Manufacturing (334112), Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242), Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621)

SIC

Computer Peripheral Equipment, Nec (3577)

akta.pro primary industry

Secure Elements & Trusted Execution Processors (TPM/TEE/Crypto MCUs) (HDAHAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Security & Trusted Hardware ICs (Secure Element/TPM/Crypto) (HDAHABAF), Secure ICs, Smart Cards & Trusted Hardware (HDAHAAAJ), Silicon IP Subsystems & Chiplet IP (Die-to-Die, UCIe, NoC, I/O chiplets) (HDAHAFAH), Confidential Computing & Hardware-backed Protection (TEE/HSM) (HDADAFAJ)

Keywords

• Silicon IP security
• Embedded cybersecurity
• Hardware security IP
• Processor security
• Micropolicy enforcement

Headquarters

HQ city

Waltham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Silicon IP Licensing - Design License: The Design license enables customers to integrate CoreGuard IP into a processor or family of processors. Dover provides the CoreGuard interface model, software simulator source code, GCC compiler, tools, and APIs. Dover typically charges a fixed upfront license fee for a standard Design license.
2. Silicon IP Licensing - Deploy License: The Deploy license enables customers to produce and sell processors with integrated CoreGuard silicon IP. The license is issued for a standard manufacturing term or in perpetuity, and can be based on a single processor family or across all families within a business unit, against payment of royalties according to established royalty rates.
3. Custom Micropolicy Development: Dover works with customers to customize existing micropolicies or create new ones to meet unique security, safety, and privacy requirements. A paid evaluation with customized micropolicies and support is available upon request.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Dover Microsystems sells CoreGuard, a proprietary silicon IP that integrates with RISC processor architectures as a separate, sentry logic bodyguard. It monitors every instruction executed by the host processor and enforces a defined set of security, safety, and privacy rules called micropolicies, blocking execution of any instruction that violates a rule before damage can occur.

Product overview

Dover Microsystems offers a unified product portfolio centered on CoreGuard, a silicon IP cybersecurity solution. The portfolio consists of CoreGuard as the core product providing hardware-based security enforcement, the CoreGuard SDK for software development and evaluation, and the CoreGuard Policy Enforcer as the RTL hardware deliverable. Together, these components enable semiconductor companies and embedded systems manufacturers to integrate processor-level security, safety, and privacy enforcement into their SoC designs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CoreGuard Proprietary silicon IP that integrates with RISC processor architectures as a separate, sentry logic bodyguard to the host processor. CoreGuard monitors every instruction executed, cross-checks metadata against updatable security, safety, and privacy rules (micropolicies), and blocks any violating instruction before execution. It immunizes embedded processors against network-based attacks, including zero-days, and protects AI/ML components from adversarial attacks and model IP extraction. Target customers are semiconductor companies and embedded systems manufacturers integrating CoreGuard into SoCs.
• CoreGuard SDK Evaluation and development kit for CoreGuard, shipped as a virtual machine containing the FreeRTOS-based embedded operating system, a software simulator for the host processor, compiler toolchain, a base set of CoreGuard micropolicies, sample applications, and technical documentation. Used by semiconductor and embedded systems engineering teams to evaluate CoreGuard and prototype integrations.
• CoreGuard Policy Enforcer RTL

Quantifiable outcome

• Prevents exploitation of 96% of severe vulnerabilities, including zero-day attacks
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Cadence Design SystemsflagshipTechnology or Integration · 5 March 2020Dover and Cadence partnered to deliver secure processing with silicon-layer security for mission-critical applications by integrating CoreGuard technology with the Cadence Tensilica Xtensa LX7 processor for aerospace and defense systems.
• Andes TechnologyflagshipTechnology or Integration · 26 September 2019Andes and Dover partnered to deliver professional network security solution for RISC-V processors, combining Andes' RISC-V cores with Dover's CoreGuard security technology.
• AntmicrocoreTechnology or Integration · 31 August 2018Antmicro announced partnership with Dover Microsystems for integrating Dover's CoreGuard security technology with Antmicro's Renode simulation platform and RISC-V-based systems.
• NXP SemiconductorscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 July 2018NXP and Dover joined forces to deliver unprecedented network security, safety, and privacy for processors. NXP also selected Dover's CoreGuard for future embedded platforms. NXP was Dover's first commercial customer while developing at Draper in March 2017.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• SiFive: SiFive is the leading commercial RISC-V core IP provider and a natural integration partner/competitor to Dover in the RISC-V ecosystem. As RISC-V adoption scales, SiFive's own security extensions could partially overlap with or complement CoreGuard's value proposition.
• Cadence Design Systems (Tensilica Security): Cadence is both a Dover partner (integrating CoreGuard with Tensilica Xtensa LX7) and a broader competitor through its Tensilica and security IP offerings, making it a dual-role peer that could either expand or compete with Dover depending on roadmap direction.
• Andes Technology: Andes is a leading RISC-V processor IP vendor and a Dover partner, but also has a deep relationship with competing security IP providers and could in principle build its own security extensions that compete with CoreGuard in the RISC-V ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Synopsys: Synopsys offers DesignWare Security IP, including cryptographic cores, security protocol accelerators, and root-of-trust solutions for SoC designers, directly competing with CoreGuard in the silicon IP security market and serving the same semiconductor and embedded systems customers.
• Rambus: Rambus provides silicon-proven security IP including CryptoManager Root of Trust, hardware security modules, and security protocol engines, directly competing with CoreGuard in the embedded/security IP space and targeting similar semiconductor customers with recurring royalty-style business models.
• PUFsecurity: PUFsecurity provides PUF-based hardware security IP including root-of-trust, secure elements, and cryptographic subsystems, directly competing with CoreGuard's hardware-enforcement approach in the semiconductor IP market.
• Intrinsic ID: Intrinsic ID offers SRAM PUF-based hardware root-of-trust and security IP for embedded processors, providing an alternative hardware-enforced security approach targeting similar SoC and IoT customers as Dover Microsystems.
• Silex Insight: Silex Insight (formerly Barco Silex) provides semiconductor IP for security including cryptographic accelerators, secure boot, and hardware root-of-trust solutions, directly competing with CoreGuard in the embedded security IP market.
• Secure-IC: Secure-IC provides embedded cybersecurity IP for SoCs including crypto engines, secure boot, and runtime integrity monitoring, with a similar focus on hardware-rooted protection for IoT, automotive, and industrial customers—making it one of the closest direct competitors to CoreGuard.

Broad incumbents

• Arm (TrustZone / Confidential Compute Architecture): Arm offers TrustZone and Armv9 CCA as part of its broader processor IP portfolio, providing hardware-rooted security for billions of shipped cores. While it does not compete as a standalone security IP vendor, its bundled security features are the primary alternative customers consider when evaluating third-party solutions like CoreGuard.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dovermicro
• Facebookfacebook.com/dovermicrosystems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dovermicrosystems

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 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 Dover Microsystems