Cog
Cog Systems, a privately held U.S. cybersecurity company founded in 2014, delivers defense-grade IoT and mobile security through Type-1 hypervisor virtualization built on formally verified microkernels, serving defense agencies, OEMs, and chipset designers with secure SDKs and hardware products.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersLake Zurich, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Cog does
Cog Systems, Inc. is a privately held U.S. cybersecurity company founded in 2014 that delivers defense-grade security for connected IoT, gateway, and mobile devices through Type-1 hypervisor virtualization built on formally verified microkernels (including seL4). The company's core offering, the D4 Secure Platform, isolates critical functions into discrete virtual machines to enable Multiple Independent Levels of Security (MILS) architectures, with features including double encryption, non-bypassable and nested VPNs, secure boot, protocol break, and tunable firewalls.
Revenue is generated through three streams: (i) software licensing of the D4 Secure SDK and Virtual Mobile Device SDK to chipset designers, OEMs, and ODMs; (ii) hardware sales of Aegis-branded ultra-secure devices (Aegis R51 Enhanced Retransmission Device and Aegis A51 smartphone), commercialized after the April 2022 acquisition of Aegis Secure, Inc.; and (iii) custom professional services. Sales channels include direct enterprise/government sales, the aegis51.com e-commerce storefront, the immixGroup public sector distributor for federal/state/local U.S. government purchasing vehicles, and select carriers and resellers; the company also invests heavily in industry events (CES, RSA, IoT World, Sensors Expo) for demand generation.
The customer base is heavily concentrated in U.S. defense and national security — including the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Army and Defense Health Agency, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics — alongside technology integration partners such as HTC, Silent Circle, SIEMonster, Fleet, and Redback. The company is small (1–10 employees), headquartered in Illinois with a San Francisco office, and has raised a single $3.5 million Series A from Grok Ventures and rampersand in December 2017; it is led by founder Dr. Daniel Potts (formerly of Northrop Grumman and OK Labs) with co-founder Carl L. Nerup in a senior leadership role.
Cog firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cog
- Legal name
- Cog Systems, Inc.
- Website
- https://cog.systems
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cog Systems, a privately held U.S. cybersecurity company founded in 2014, delivers defense-grade IoT and mobile security through Type-1 hypervisor virtualization built on formally verified microkernels, serving defense agencies, OEMs, and chipset designers with secure SDKs and hardware products.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cog industry classification
Industry- Product category
- IoT Security Platform
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621), Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Electronic Computers (3571), Computer Communications Equipment (3576)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Confidential Computing & Hardware-backed Protection (TEE/HSM) (HDADAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Secure Elements & Trusted Execution Processors (TPM/TEE/Crypto MCUs) (HDAHAJAK), Industrial/IoT Network Perimeter Security (OT DMZ, gateways) (HDADABAO), Security & Trusted Hardware ICs (Secure Element/TPM/Crypto) (HDAHABAF)
Keywords
Where Cog is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lake Zurich
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cog business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Software Licensing: Licensing of D4 Secure SDKs and Virtual Mobile Device SDK to device manufacturers, chipset designers, and OEMs for integration into their products.
- Hardware Product Sales: Sale of Aegis-branded ultra-secure devices including Aegis R51 (ERD), Aegis A51 smartphone, and related accessories. Products commercialized after acquisition of Aegis Secure.
- Professional Services: Custom development and implementation services for governments and enterprises requiring bespoke security solutions. Cog has a long heritage providing services to help customers secure existing commercial devices.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise/Government Direct Purchase |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Cog product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cog Systems builds and sells the D4 Secure Platform, a Type-1 hypervisor-based virtualization security solution that isolates critical functions on connected mobile and IoT devices using a formally verified microkernel. The company also sells ultra-secure hardware products—the Aegis R51 Enhanced Retransmission Device and the Aegis A51 Ultra-Secure Mobile Device—together with support services (Aegis Care), and licenses its Virtual Mobile Device SDK and D4 Secure SDK to chipset designers, OEMs, and government/defense customers.
Product overview
Cog Systems provides a comprehensive portfolio of ultra-secure connected device solutions built on Type-1 virtualization and formally verified modular architecture. The core offering is the D4 Secure Platform, which uses virtualization techniques to deliver defense-grade security for mobile, gateway, and IoT devices. In April 2022, Cog expanded its portfolio by acquiring Aegis Secure, adding the Aegis R51 (Enhanced Retransmission Device) and Aegis A51 Ultra-Secure Mobile Device to its product lineup. The products range from software SDKs (Virtual Mobile Device SDK, D4 Secure SDK) to complete hardware solutions including secured smartphones and specialized security devices. The platform leverages MILS (Multiple Independent Levels of Security) architectures and Type-1 hypervisors to isolate critical functions, providing multiple layers of containerization, redundancy, and granular control. Target customers include world governments, defense organizations, and corporate enterprises requiring certified, high-assurance security solutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Aegis Secure: Ultra-secure mobile platform and product line including Aegis R51 Enhanced Retransmission Device and Aegis A51 Ultra-Secure Mobile Device, commercialized after the 2022 acquisition of Aegis Secure, Inc.
- D4 Secure Platform
- D4 Secure SDK
Products and services
- D4 Secure Platform Core security platform leveraging Type-1 hypervisor virtualization with a formally verified microkernel to isolate critical functions on connected mobile, gateway, and IoT devices. Provides multiple levels of containerization, secure boot, double encryption, non-bypassable and nested VPNs, protocol break, tunable firewall, radio isolation, OTA updates, and dynamic scalability. Commercially branded as Aegis Secure Platform after the Aegis acquisition.
- Virtual Mobile Device SDK SDK for building secure connected device solutions using formally verified Type-1 virtualization, supporting Multiple Independent Levels of Security (MILS) architectures for applications requiring privacy and mutual distrust on shared devices.
- D4 Secure SDK (Mobile) Software development kit for mobile devices that provides enhanced storage encryption, non-bypassable VPN, nested VPN support, and protection of organizational data and systems without sacrificing the ability to run any application safely and securely.
- HTC One A9, Secured by D4 Smartphone product combining HTC hardware with Cog's D4 Secure Platform, marketed to government and enterprise customers as the world's most secure commercially available smartphone.
- Aegis R51 (Enhanced Retransmission Device) Ultra-secure Enhanced Retransmission Device (ERD) co-developed with the US Department of Defense. Adds Protocol Break and Firewall layers on top of VPN for defense-in-depth protection in a 2-inch-square form factor. Provides defense-grade data sanitization and access control for government and enterprise secure mobility deployments.
- Aegis A51 Ultra-Secure Mobile Device Ultra-secure smartphone built on an isolated, modular architecture using Cog's Virtual Mobile Device SDK and formally verified Type-1 virtualization. Designed for governments, defense organizations, and enterprises requiring the highest level of device security for sensitive communications.
- Aegis Care Subscription support and care service for Aegis Secure products, providing customer support, device management, and ongoing maintenance for ultra-secure mobile and ERD customers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 40% of critical Linux CVEs completely eliminated by microkernel-based OS design (academic research by Gernot Heiser's team)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Cog
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cog technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature10 records
Cog partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.
- Aegis Secure, Inc.coreCog acquired Aegis Secure in April 2022 to expand from building ultra-secure connected device solutions to commercializing those solutions for global marketplace. Aegis brought products including Aegis R51 ERD and Aegis A51 Ultra-Secure Mobile device, validating market demand for ultra-secure connected devices.
- US Department of DefensecoreCog and US DOD collaborated to build Enhanced Retransmission Device (ERD) - the only fully compliant device per latest CSfC guidelines from NIST (Mobile Access Capability Package 2.5). ERD adds Protocol Break and Firewall layers for defense in depth security.
- Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA)strategicCog accepted into GSA IoT Security Working Group dedicated to addressing end-to-end IoT security issues. Working group promotes best practices, shares threat information, defines security requirements, and informs standards bodies.
- FleetstrategicFleet partnered with Cog to advance security of satellite-connected IoT devices. Fleet deploys D4 Secure platform providing kernel protection, radio isolation for satellite communications, and VPN tunnel for secure data transport.
- SIEMonsterstrategicPartnership to embed D4 Secure platform into SIEMonster's remote event monitoring appliances, offering defense-grade Security Information and Event Management to enterprises worldwide.
- Management Sciences Inc. (MSI)strategicCog and MSI awarded US Army SBIR contract to develop multilevel security (MLS) capability on tactical mobile devices, enabling secure dual persona solution for medics with NSA-approved separation between classified and unclassified data.
- immixGroupcoreimmixGroup appointed as public sector distributor for D4 Secure software, products, and services to US local, state, and federal government purchasing vehicles.
- Silent CirclestrategicCombined encryption technology partnership bringing Silent Phone software to D4 Secure architecture, protecting voice and video call data on cellular and Wi-Fi networks with ZRTP peer-to-peer encryption protocol.
- Online Business SystemsminorSIEM implementation partner providing managed security services and expertise in deploying Cog-SIEMonster combined solution for enterprise customers.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cog competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Lookout: Lookout provides mobile security and zero-trust access for enterprise and government, competing with Cog's mobile security and D4 Secure SDK in adjacent use cases, particularly commercial enterprise rather than defense.
- Ivanti (MobileIron): Ivanti's MobileIron-derived unified endpoint management platform competes with Cog in mobile device security for government and regulated industries, though with a software/MDM-centric rather than hypervisor-isolation-centric architecture.
Direct peers
- Zimperium: Zimperium focuses on mobile threat defense and mobile endpoint security for enterprises and governments, offering a competing approach to Cog's hypervisor-based platform. Both target the same mobile security buyer with overlapping value propositions.
- BlackBerry: BlackBerry's secure communications and mobile device management business (including AtHoc and SecuSUITE) directly competes with Cog's secure mobile offering for government and defense customers. Both target CSfC-grade mobile security with similar certification-driven GTM motions.
- Silent Circle: Silent Circle provides secure mobile communications and is both a technology partner of Cog (Silent Phone on D4 Secure architecture) and a direct competitor in the high-assurance mobile security market for enterprise and government customers.
Broad incumbents
- CrowdStrike: CrowdStrike's Falcon endpoint and IoT security offerings compete with Cog in mobile and connected device protection, though CrowdStrike addresses a much broader endpoint security market with software-led, cloud-delivered architecture versus Cog's hardware-virtualization approach.
- Sierra Nevada Corporation: SNC's Tactical Secure Communications and cyber solutions business competes with Cog in defense-grade secure mobile and IoT solutions, with broader portfolio across electronic systems and integrated mission solutions for DoD customers.
- BAE Systems (Cyber & Intelligence): BAE Systems' cyber and intelligence division competes with Cog in defense cybersecurity, with a much broader portfolio spanning intelligence analysis, electronic warfare, and secure communications for DoD/IC customers.
- General Dynamics Mission Systems: General Dynamics is both a Cog partner and a competing defense prime with secure communications, tactical networking, and cyber solutions targeting the same defense and intelligence buyers that Cog serves.
- Palo Alto Networks (IoT Security): Palo Alto Networks' IoT Security and Prisma solutions compete with Cog's D4 Secure platform for industrial IoT, smart device, and edge security buyers, offering a broader network-centric alternative to Cog's device-virtualization approach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cog social profiles
Digital presenceCog compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Cog financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cog leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Cog subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Cog funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cog M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cog
What does Cog do?
Cog Systems builds and sells the D4 Secure Platform, a Type-1 hypervisor-based virtualization security solution that isolates critical functions on connected mobile and IoT devices using a formally verified microkernel. The company also sells ultra-secure hardware products—the Aegis R51 Enhanced Retransmission Device and the Aegis A51 Ultra-Secure Mobile Device—together with support services (Aegis Care), and licenses its Virtual Mobile Device SDK and D4 Secure SDK to chipset designers, OEMs, and government/defense customers.
Is Cog a public or private company?
Cog is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Cog founded?
Cog was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cog based?
Cog is headquartered in Lake Zurich, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cog make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Software Licensing is the primary driver. The others are hardware Product Sales and professional Services.
Who are Cog's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Lookout and Ivanti (MobileIron). Direct peers are Zimperium, BlackBerry and Silent Circle. Broad incumbents are CrowdStrike, Sierra Nevada Corporation, BAE Systems (Cyber & Intelligence), General Dynamics Mission Systems and Palo Alto Networks (IoT Security).
Does Cog have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cog.
What industry is Cog in?
Cog's product category is IoT Security Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDADAFAJ, Confidential Computing & Hardware-backed Protection (TEE/HSM), with a secondary code of HDAHAJAK, Secure Elements & Trusted Execution Processors (TPM/TEE/Crypto MCUs). Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7373.