D-RisQ
D-RisQ is a UK-based software company that develops formal methods-based verification tools for safety-critical embedded systems, serving aerospace, automotive, medical device, and autonomous systems customers requiring DO-178C, ISO 26262, and IEC 62304 regulatory compliance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersMalvern, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What D-RisQ does
D-RisQ (Drisq Limited) is a UK-based software company that develops formal methods-based verification tools for safety-critical embedded software systems. Founded in 2011 by David Sheppard, Nick Tudor, and Colin O'Halloran in Malvern, Worcestershire, the company commercializes technology that originated from over 30 years of government-backed Defence sector R&D and foundational research from Sir Tony Hoare's group at the University of Oxford and Professor Mike Gordon's group at the University of Cambridge. Its product suite covers the full embedded software lifecycle: System Kapture® and Kapture® for system and software requirements authoring, Modelworks® for Simulink/Stateflow design verification, CLawZ® for autocode verification, and FEVER® (in development, targeted Q4 2025) for executable object code verification. The tools are designed to require no specialist skills and are claimed to deliver 30–80% cost savings versus traditional test-and-review methods.
D-RisQ sells primarily to enterprises in safety-critical regulated industries — aerospace (DO-178C compliance), automotive (ISO 26262), medical devices (IEC 62304), rail (EN 50128), nuclear (IEC 60880), and autonomous systems across air, maritime, and sub-surface domains. The company employs 1–10 staff and operates from its headquarters at Malvern Hills Science Park. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales supplemented by consulting services under a "Let our team be part of your team" positioning. Named customers and partners include SMD (subsea autonomy), ASV Global / L3 Technologies (maritime autonomous vessels), Callen Lenz (BVLOS UAV), Rovco (offshore wind inspection), and Deep Vision (Canadian ocean tech).
The company generates revenue from two streams: licensing of its verification software tools and professional services/consulting engagements. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and sales are conducted via direct contact and multi-year contracts. D-RisQ has received project-based grant funding from Innovate UK and the German Federal Ministry (PlaTForM project, £1 million in December 2024; PICASSOS in 2017), equity-style funding from Future Planet Capital and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (2020), and was selected for the Airbus Defence and Space UK Space Accelerator in July 2024. Localized websites for Germany and Japan suggest nascent international expansion.
D-RisQ firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- D-RisQ
- Legal name
- Drisq Limited
- Website
- https://drisq.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- D-RisQ is a UK-based software company that develops formal methods-based verification tools for safety-critical embedded systems, serving aerospace, automotive, medical device, and autonomous systems customers requiring DO-178C, ISO 26262, and IEC 62304 regulatory compliance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
D-RisQ industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Safety-Critical Embedded Software Verification Tools
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Quality Engineering & Test Automation (QE/QA) (BPAEAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Testing, QA & Release/Deployment Enablement (BPAEAAAN)
Keywords
Where D-RisQ is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Malvern
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
D-RisQ business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Tool Licenses: Sale and licensing of automated verification software tools (Kapture, Modelworks, CLawZ, System Kapture, FEVER) to organizations developing safety-critical embedded software. Tools provided with full-service backup through project delivery.
- Software Development Consultancy Services: Expert consulting services where D-RisQ team works alongside customer teams to deliver projects, including requirements development, design verification, and compliance support. 'Let our team be part of your team to deliver your project' positioning.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Enterprise software tools with consulting services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
D-RisQ product offering
Product offeringCore offering
D-RisQ develops and licenses a suite of formal methods-based software verification tools (Kapture, System Kapture, Modelworks, CLawZ, FEVER) that automatically verify safety-critical embedded software against international standards including DO-178C, ISO 26262, and IEC 62304. The company also provides expert consulting services where its team works alongside customer engineering teams to deliver verification projects, enabling end-to-end behavioral assurance of software from system requirements through to executable object code.
Product overview
D-RisQ offers a suite of five integrated software verification tools designed for safety-critical embedded systems development. The tool suite follows a sequential workflow: System Kapture® captures and assures system requirements, Kapture® writes verifiable software requirements, Modelworks® automatically verifies designs in Simulink/Stateflow, CLawZ® verifies C source code generated from those designs, and FEVER® (in development) will verify executable object code post-compilation. Together, these tools enable end-to-end verification from requirements through to executable code, providing mathematical proof of correctness and supporting compliance with international standards such as DO-178C, ISO 26262, IEC 62304, and IEC 61508. The tools are built on formal methods technology and are designed to require no specialist skills, with verification achievable at the press of a button. The company claims cost savings of 30-80% compared to traditional testing and review methods.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kapture®: Software requirements tool enabling users to write clear, concise, verifiable requirements in structured English with automatic translation to formal representation for semantic checks
- Modelworks®
- CLawZ®
- FEVER®
- System Kapture®
Products and services
- Kapture Software requirements writing tool that enables users to write clear, concise, unambiguous, and verifiable software requirements in structured English with automatic translation to a formal representation for semantic checks. Assists developers in design, coders in coding, and test engineers in developing valid test cases, enabling early discovery of requirements issues before the expense of design, code and verification phases.
- System Kapture System requirements development tool that enables clear, unambiguous, consistent development of system requirements for embedded systems and links to Kapture to allow verification checks between software requirements and systems requirements, reducing uncertainty at the start of projects and reducing time and cost.
- Modelworks Automatic verification tool for designs in Simulink and Stateflow that provides mathematical proof that designs satisfy requirements. Shows exactly where requirements are not satisfied by specific areas of the design and enables design engineers to explore various designs and choose the most maintainable.
- CLawZ Automatic independent verification tool for C source code generated from Simulink/Stateflow models (including dSpace TargetLink). Automatically proves that automatically generated code correctly, completely, and accurately implements a design, avoiding the time and cost of undertaking unit test. Shows exactly where in the code issues lie and relates them to the original design.
- FEVER Automatic verification tool for Executable Object Code that proves that the binary code is correct with respect to the source code from which it was compiled, reducing the extensive testing typically required to verify compiled code. Can be used in a formal methods tool chain or test-oriented development process.
- Software Development Consultancy Services Expert consulting services where D-RisQ's team of mathematicians, computer scientists and engineers works alongside customer engineering teams to deliver safety-critical embedded software projects, including requirements development, design verification, source code verification, and compliance support to standards such as DO-178C, ISO 26262 and IEC 62304.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30-80% cost savings on embedded software development compared to traditional test and manual review methods
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use D-RisQ
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
D-RisQ technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature7 records
D-RisQ partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SMD (Soil Machine Dynamics)coreSMD selected D-RisQ verification tools for their autonomy programme. SMD develops Remotely Operated Vehicles for underwater environments, specializing in cable laying equipment. D-RisQ providing end-to-end verification from requirements through executable code for autonomous operations.
- Newcastle UniversitycoreUK partner in PlaTforM (Practical Testing of Formal Requirements) Anglo-German research project. £1 million funding from Innovate UK and German Federal Ministry. Focus on demonstrating assured software development cost-effectively for automotive and medical device sectors.
- fortiss GmbHcoreGerman research institute (research institute of the Free State of Bavaria) partner in PlaTforM project. Collaborating on automated, cost-effective approach to identifying potential errors early in development process.
- Verified Systems International GmbHcoreGerman partner in PlaTforM project focused on practical testing of formal requirements in industrial settings.
- Airbus Defence and Space UK / PlexalcoreD-RisQ selected to be part of inaugural Airbus Defence and Space UK Space Accelerator, delivered by Plexal. Part of wider Community for Space Prosperity (CUSP) initiative. 14-week programme to develop business and technical offering for space sector. Announcement made at Farnborough International Airshow 2024.
- Deep Vision (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia)coreCollaborative project with Canadian company on autonomous sea vessel technology. Part of Canadian Ocean Tech Challenge funded by Innovate UK and Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). Project for long range navigation and survey including Right Whale detection and wind farm seabed mapping.
- RovcominorPartner in A2I2X project (Autonomous Aquatic Inspection and Intervention extension) for further development of autonomous underwater vehicle for wind farm mono-pile inspection and intervention.
- National Oceanography CentreminorPartner in A2I2X project for validation of Safety Monitor in trials for wind farm inspection.
- Cranfield UniversityminorProject partner in USMOOTH (Unmanned Safe Maritime Operations Over The Horizon) project focused on autonomous surface vessel safety monitoring.
- University of SurreyminorPartner in Off Planet Vehicle project developing software for off-planet vehicles - 'truly off-road' autonomous space vehicles.
- Callen Lenz LtdcoreLead UK UAS developer partner in ESRA project developing Safety Monitor for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) UAV operations. Project demonstrated compliance to software standards while developing autonomous capability.
- ASV Global LLC (now L3 Technologies)coreLead partner in USMOOTH project - leading unmanned surface vessel designer and manufacturer. Project enabled autonomous vessel remote operation for sea bed mapping and infrastructure monitoring with safety monitoring for COLREGS compliance.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
D-RisQ competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TrustInSoft: Offers formal verification of C/C++ source code through exhaustive static analysis, with applications in aerospace, automotive and IoT security. Direct competitor in formal-methods verification for embedded safety-critical software.
- Rapita Systems: Provides on-target timing analysis and verification tools (Rapita Verification Suite) for safety-critical embedded systems in aerospace and automotive. Direct competitor in evidence generation for DO-178C and ISO 262.
- AdaCore: Provides GNAT Pro and SPARK Pro development and verification toolchains for safety-critical and security-critical embedded software, with explicit DO-178C, ISO 26262 and IEC 61508 certification support. Direct competitor in formal-methods-based verification for the same regulated customer base.
- Verified Systems International GmbH: German specialist in formal verification and model-based testing for safety-critical embedded systems, and an existing D-RisQ partner in the PlaTForM project. Direct peer and partial collaborator in automotive and medical device verification.
- LDRA: Supplier of software analysis, unit testing and structural coverage tools (TBvision, TBrun) for DO-178C, ISO 26262 and IEC 62304 compliance. Direct competitor targeting the same safety-critical embedded software verification workflow.
Emerging players
- Parasoft: Provides automated software testing, static analysis and compliance tools for safety-critical embedded software (DO-178C, ISO 26262, IEC 62304). Adjacent competitor with overlap in regulated-industries verification.
Broad incumbents
- Synopsys: Major EDA vendor whose formal verification and static analysis portfolio (VC Formal, Coverity) targets safety- and security-critical software verification across automotive, aerospace and industrial. Incumbent with far greater resources and adjacent product overlap.
- Vector Informatik: Supplies a broad automotive software toolchain including testing, calibration, and AUTOSAR verification. Adjacent competitor in ISO 26262-compliant automotive verification workflows where D-RisQ also competes.
- MathWorks: Creator of Simulink and Stateflow (which D-RisQ's Modelworks and CLawZ integrate with) and provider of Simulink Design Verifier as an alternative formal-methods verification path. Incumbent whose adjacent formal-verification capability competes with parts of D-RisQ's toolchain.
Others
- dSpace: Provider of TargetLink autocoder (which D-RisQ's CLawZ verifies) and broader simulation/validation tools for automotive embedded software. Strategic integration partner with overlapping customer base in safety-critical ECU development.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
D-RisQ social profiles
Digital presenceD-RisQ compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
D-RisQ financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
D-RisQ leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
D-RisQ funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
D-RisQ 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 D-RisQ
What does D-RisQ do?
D-RisQ develops and licenses a suite of formal methods-based software verification tools (Kapture, System Kapture, Modelworks, CLawZ, FEVER) that automatically verify safety-critical embedded software against international standards including DO-178C, ISO 26262, and IEC 62304. The company also provides expert consulting services where its team works alongside customer engineering teams to deliver verification projects, enabling end-to-end behavioral assurance of software from system requirements through to executable object code.
Is D-RisQ a public or private company?
D-RisQ is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was D-RisQ founded?
D-RisQ was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is D-RisQ based?
D-RisQ is headquartered in Malvern, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does D-RisQ make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Software Tool Licenses are the primary driver. The others are software Development Consultancy Services.
Who are D-RisQ's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TrustInSoft, Rapita Systems, AdaCore, Verified Systems International GmbH and LDRA. Parasoft is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Synopsys, Vector Informatik and MathWorks. dSpace is listed as an others.
Does D-RisQ have an API?
No public API is recorded for D-RisQ.
What industry is D-RisQ in?
D-RisQ's product category is Safety-Critical Embedded Software Verification Tools. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAFAJ, Quality Engineering & Test Automation (QE/QA), with a secondary code of BPAEAAAN, Testing, QA & Release/Deployment Enablement. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.