What Pi-Radio does

Pi-Radio is a privately held, Brooklyn-based hardware company that designs and sells software-defined radios (SDRs) covering the 6-140 GHz frequency range for 5G/6G wireless research. It was spun out of NYU Tandon School of Engineering's Center for Advanced Technologies in Telecommunications (CATT) and is backed by funding from NSF, the U.S. Army, DARPA, NTIA, and NIST. Pi-Radio addresses a gap in the SDR market by extending sub-6 GHz platforms—USRP, ADALM-Pluto, Xilinx RFSoC, and ROACH—into the FR3 (6-24 GHz), V-band (57-64 GHz), and forthcoming 140 GHz (sub-mmWave) bands, where mainstream SDRs do not operate. Its four named products—the Marie Curie (FR3 2-channel), Hedy Lamarr (60 GHz 8-channel), C.V. Raman (28/60 GHz 360°), and Emmy Nöther (140 GHz, under development)—are built on Xilinx RFSoC baseband with custom mmWave up/down-converter boards and are differentiated by O(1)-complexity fully-digital beamforming and a proprietary two-node calibration system that eliminates the need for lab-grade spectrum analyzers or signal generators. Control software is delivered as a MATLAB-based driver stack over TCP/IP, with integrations demonstrated for GNU Radio and the Open Air Interface 5G NR stack.

The company runs a sales-led, quote-based direct-sales motion targeting academic and industrial wireless research groups, with no disclosed channel partners or public pricing. Distribution is global via email-based order intake ([email protected]), and adoption is documented at institutions including NYU, Rutgers (COSMOS testbed), Florida International University, NYU Abu Dhabi, and Politecnico di Milano, plus a commercial proof-of-concept with Allbesmart (Portugal) via the OAIBOX 5G gNB. Revenue is generated almost entirely from hardware sales of SDR kits (transceiver boards, FPGA platforms, mechanical mounting plates) with downloadable FPGA images and software drivers; the company has no disclosed ARR or unit volumes and operates with a headcount of 1-10 employees. Marketing is concentrated in technical content—detailed documentation, GitHub tutorials, conference demos (e.g., Brooklyn 6G Summit), and a user-showcase page—rather than in traditional demand-gen channels.

Pi-Radio carries non-dilutive government-grant revenue alongside commercial hardware sales, which materially shapes its runway and growth cadence. The leadership team combines NYU co-founders (Aditya Dhananjay, CEO; Marco Mezzavilla, Co-founder) with CTO Michael Zappe and an advisory board drawn from former CTOs/SVPs of Qualcomm, Flarion, Interdigital, and American Tower. The combination of academic spin-out credibility, niche-spectrum specialization, and ecosystem-embedded software integrations defines Pi-Radio's current strategic posture.

Name

Pi-Radio

Legal name

Pi-Radio

Website

https://pi-rad.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pi-Radio designs and sells software-defined radio hardware covering 6-140 GHz (FR3, V-band, and sub-mmWave), extending mainstream SDR platforms such as USRP, Pluto, and Xilinx RFSoC into frequencies that mainstream SDR vendors do not serve, primarily for academic and industrial 5G/6G wireless researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wireless Research Equipment

NAICS

Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334220), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (33429)

SIC

Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Communications Equipment, Nec (3669)

akta.pro primary industry

Millimeter-Wave (mmWave) ICs & Beamforming ICs (HDAHAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microwave & RF Signal Chain ICs (Mixers/Detectors/Attenuators) (HDAHAMAL), Frequency Synthesis: PLL/VCO, LO & Clocking ICs (HDAHAMAF), RF Front-End Modules (FEMs) & Integrated RF Modules (HDAHAMAA)

Keywords

• Software-defined radios
• MmWave SDRs
• FR3 transceivers
• Beamforming platforms
• Wireless research hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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

Revenue model

1. SDR Hardware Sales: Sale of specialized software-defined radio hardware including FR3 front-ends (6-24GHz), V-band SDRs (57-64GHz), and future 140GHz systems. Hardware includes transceiver boards, FPGA platforms (Xilinx RFSoC-based ZCU111), and complete SDR kits with mechanical mounting plates.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pi-Radio designs and sells software-defined radio (SDR) hardware that enables wireless research in frequency bands above 6 GHz, including FR3 (6-24 GHz), V-band (57-64 GHz), and sub-THz up to 140 GHz. Its products are frequency-conversion front-ends that extend conventional sub-6 GHz SDR platforms (USRP, Pluto, Xilinx RFSoC) into higher bands, with fully-digital beamforming supporting channel sounding and MIMO research for 5G/6G, robotics, autonomous vehicles, and AR/VR/XR applications.

Product overview

Pi-Radio is a software-defined radio (SDR) company specializing in mmWave and FR3 (6-24 GHz) frequency bands for 5G/6G wireless research. The product portfolio includes: FR3 (Marie Curie) as the flagship 2-channel fully digital front-end for 6-24 GHz; Hedy Lamarr as an 8-channel 60 GHz SDR with advanced beamforming; C.V. Raman as a 28/60 GHz radio with 360° coverage; and Emmy Nöther as an upcoming 140 GHz platform. All products serve as frequency-conversion front-ends that extend conventional sub-6 GHz SDRs (USRP, Pluto, RFSoC) into higher frequency bands, enabling real-world experimentation, beamforming, MIMO, and channel sounding research. The company is an NYU Tandon School spin-off funded by NSF, Army, DARPA, and NTIA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• C.V. Raman: 28/60GHz 360° coverage radio
• Hedy Lamarr
• Marie Curie
• Emmy Nöther

Products and services

• FR3 (Marie Curie) SDR Front-End 2-channel fully digital SDR front-end operating in the 6-24 GHz FR3 frequency range. Extends sub-6 GHz SDRs (USRP, Pluto, RFSoC) into FR3 bands with phase-coherent operation for MIMO, beamforming, channel sounding, and 5G/6G research. Sold to academic and commercial wireless researchers.
• Hedy Lamarr 60 GHz SDR 60 GHz 8-channel fully digital SDR with advanced beamforming. Computes simultaneous multi-lobe beam patterns with O(1) complexity, supporting channel sounding with angle-of-arrival information and multi-path testing for mmWave wireless research applications.
• C.V. Raman 28/60 GHz SDR 28/60 GHz SDR with 360-degree radio coverage designed for mmWave research applications including robotics, autonomous vehicles, and AR/VR/XR. Provides wide-angle mmWave coverage to support short-range communications and sensing experiments.
• 57-64 GHz 8-ch SDR Platform V-band (57-64 GHz) 8-channel SDR platform based on Xilinx ZCU111 RFSoC. Features HMC6300/6301 mmWave up/down-converters, LMX2595 LO generator, fully-digital beamforming, calibration routines, and MATLAB drivers for mmWave channel sounding and beamforming research.

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• New York State Center for Advanced Technologies in Telecommunications (CATT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPi-Radio is a spin-off from CATT located at NYU Tandon School of Engineering. CATT provides institutional support, research infrastructure, and academic backing for the company.
• Xilinx (AMD)coreTechnology or IntegrationPi-Radio systems are built on Xilinx RFSoC platforms (ZCU111, RFSoC 4x2). The hardware compatibility and optimization with Xilinx/AMD FPGA platforms is fundamental to product operation.
• Open Air Interface (OAI)coreTechnology or IntegrationPi-Radio FR3 front-ends have been integrated with Open Air Interface 5G NR stack, enabling 5G demonstration over FR3 bands. Prof. Mezzavilla demonstrated world's first 5G NR over FR3 using OAI.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ettus Research: Industry-standard USRP SDR platform that Pi-Radio explicitly integrates with and extends into FR3/mmWave bands. Direct overlap in SDR hardware for research customers, with Pi-Radio positioned as a complementary (rather than competing) front-end layer above USRP.
• Per Vices: Canadian maker of high-performance SDRs (Cyan, Noctar) used in research and defense wireless applications. Comparable customer profile and form factor (high-end modular SDR), though Per Vices covers sub-6 GHz natively where Pi-Radio extends above 6 GHz.

Broad incumbents

• National Instruments (NI): Test-and-measurement incumbent that owns Ettus Research. Competes broadly across the same academic and industrial wireless research budgets as Pi-Radio and has the channel, capital, and incumbent relationships to enter the FR3 front-end market if it chooses.
• Keysight Technologies: Global test-and-measurement incumbent offering signal analyzers, generators, and channel-sounding systems that overlap with Pi-Radio's research-lab use cases. Significantly larger product portfolio and customer footprint; could enter Pi-Radio's niche via acquisition or internal development.
• Rohde & Schwarz: European T&M leader with vector signal generators, spectrum analyzers, and OTA test systems relevant to Pi-Radio's mmWave research customer base. Similar broad-incumbent dynamics as Keysight — could expand into SDR front-end territory if FR3 commercial demand materializes.

Others

• Analog Devices: Supplier of the HMC6300/HMC6301 mmWave up/down-converter ICs that Pi-Radio integrates. ADI also sells its own evaluation platforms and ADI-based SDR reference designs to overlapping customers, making it a partial competitor and a critical dependency simultaneously.
• Texas Instruments: Supplier of the LMX2595 wideband LO generator used in Pi-Radio's V-band platforms. TI's broader RF portfolio and university donation programs make it an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
• AMD (Xilinx): Supplies the RFSoC FPGA platform (ZCU111, RFSoC 4x2) that Pi-Radio's SDRs depend on. AMD's strategic direction post-Xilinx acquisition directly determines Pi-Radio's product roadmap and supply continuity.

Emerging players

• Sivers Wireless: Sweden-listed mmWave IC and beamforming module supplier targeting 5G/6G fixed wireless and sensing. Operates one layer below Pi-Radio (chips vs. integrated SDR front-ends) but addresses overlapping mmWave research and commercial end markets.
• Movandi: mmWave 5G and 6G front-end and antenna specialist backed by private capital. Competes for the same emerging FR3/mmWave commercial and research mindshare as Pi-Radio, though Movandi focuses on commercial 5G deployment rather than research SDR tooling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Pi-Radio