Zephyr Project
Zephyr Project is an open-source real-time operating system under the Linux Foundation, supporting 1,000+ microcontroller boards and embedded in over 10 million commercial devices across industrial automation, consumer IoT, automotive, healthcare, and aerospace.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Zephyr Project does
Zephyr Project is an open-source real-time operating system (RTOS) hosted under the Linux Foundation, founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco. Its core product, the Zephyr RTOS, is a scalable embedded operating system distributed under the Apache 2.0 license, supporting more than 1,000 development boards across ARM, RISC-V, x86, ARC, MIPS, Nios II, and other microcontroller architectures, with native integration for 300+ sensors. The platform scales from highly constrained devices (under 8KB Flash, under 5KB RAM) to complex multi-core systems and is structured around KConfig and Devicetree build tooling, with designated Long-Term Support (LTS) releases (current LTS3 at v3.7.0) to support product lifecycles of 5-15 years. As of 2026, Zephyr is embedded in commercial products deployed across more than 10 million devices globally, with the latest release (Zephyr 4.4, May 2026) adding WireGuard VPN, Wi-Fi Direct, OpenRISC support, and the inaugural Zephyr SDK 1.0.
The project operates as a community-led open-source initiative rather than a traditional software vendor. It has no direct revenue model — the software is free to download from GitHub — and is sustained through Linux Foundation membership fees paid by corporate members (Platinum tier including Nordic Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics, Analog Devices, and Qualcomm) and contributions from a community of more than 3,000 contributors with 436 monthly active developers producing roughly 2,500 commits per month. The customer base is highly diversified across industrial automation (45% of deployments), consumer IoT (44%), automotive, healthcare, smart energy, and emerging space/aerospace verticals, with named production users including Google Chromebook, Vestas wind turbines, Oticon hearing aids, ProGlove scanners, Framework laptops, Voiager scooters, and Aethero satellite systems. Go-to-market is developer-led via documentation, Discord, mailing lists, GitHub, an annual Zephyr Developer Summit in Prague, and a global meetup series (Austin, Vienna, Wrocław, Lyon, Kochi, Sapporo). Strategic positioning emphasizes Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) alignment for EU regulatory compliance and a Vulnerability Alert Registry for coordinated security disclosure.
Zephyr Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Zephyr Project
- Legal name
- Zephyr Project
- Website
- https://zephyrproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Zephyr Project is an open-source real-time operating system under the Linux Foundation, supporting 1,000+ microcontroller boards and embedded in over 10 million commercial devices across industrial automation, consumer IoT, automotive, healthcare, and aerospace.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Zephyr Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Real-Time Operating System (Embedded Software)
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- API-Led Integration Middleware (Integration Gateways) (HDAEACAL)
Keywords
Where Zephyr Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Zephyr Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Open Source Distribution: Zephyr RTOS is freely available as open-source software under the Apache 2.0 license. The project operates as a Linux Foundation project without direct revenue generation. The ecosystem value is created through community contributions, member organizations, and downstream commercial products built on Zephyr.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Open Source Access |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Zephyr Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Zephyr Project provides an open-source, scalable real-time operating system (RTOS) for embedded systems, supporting microcontrollers and microprocessors across architectures including ARM, RISC-V, x86, ARC, and MIPS. The RTOS ships under the Apache 2.0 license with native out-of-the-box support for over 1,000 boards and 300+ integrated sensors, enabling products ranging from highly constrained devices (<8KB Flash, <5KB RAM) to complex multi-core systems. Companion deliverables include the Zephyr SDK (v1.0), comprehensive documentation, long-term support (LTS) releases, and a Vulnerability Alert Registry for coordinated security disclosures.
Product overview
Zephyr Project is an open-source real-time operating system (RTOS) ecosystem hosted under the Linux Foundation, launched in 2016 and celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026. The core offering is the Zephyr RTOS, a scalable embedded operating system supporting over 1,000 boards across microcontroller architectures, trusted by commercial products deployed in over 10 million devices. The ecosystem includes the Zephyr SDK (v1.0), comprehensive documentation, a Vulnerability Alert Registry for coordinated security disclosures, and a Products Running Zephyr catalog showcasing commercial deployments. Community resources include the Zephyr Podcast series, Developer Survey, annual Zephyr Developer Summit in Prague, and a global Community Meetup Series. The project emphasizes security, portability, and long-term support, aligning with regulations like the EU Cyber Resilience Act, with over 3,000 contributors and 436 monthly active developers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Zephyr RTOS An open-source, scalable real-time operating system (RTOS) for embedded systems, supporting over 1,000 boards across microcontroller architectures (ARM, RISC-V, x86, ARC, MIPS, Nios II). Designed for developers and product manufacturers building secure, connected embedded devices, with deployments exceeding 10 million devices globally.
- Zephyr SDK 1.0 A complete software development kit (SDK) providing the toolchain, compiler, and build utilities required for compiling applications on Zephyr RTOS. Released as version 1.0 alongside Zephyr 4.4.
- Vulnerability Alert Registry A product creators registry that enables organizations running Zephyr in commercial products to receive coordinated vulnerability alerts. Eligible organizations must have a publicly listed product, a monitored security email, and acceptance of the embargo policy.
Quantifiable outcome
- 49% of organizations cite easier hardware portability as the primary impact of adopting Zephyr
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Zephyr Project
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Zephyr Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature5 records
Zephyr Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AntmicrocoreActive member company and contributor supporting Aethero's space computing platforms with Zephyr-controlled onboard systems. Antmicro provides hardware/software co-development and integration services using Zephyr RTOS.
- AetherocoreSpace computing company deploying Zephyr RTOS on companion MCUs for onboard systems in satellites. Products running Zephyr in orbit on NxN-ECM and Phobos CubeSat missions.
- Nordic SemiconductorcorePlatinum/active contributor providing development boards for Zephyr meetups and workshops. nRF52832 and nRF54L15 chips power many Zephyr-based products.
- STMicroelectronicscoreHardware sponsor for meetups and active contributor. STM32 microcontrollers are among the most popular platforms for Zephyr development.
- Analog DevicescorePlatinum member hosting Austin meetups and contributing to signal processing, sensing, and connectivity solutions for Zephyr ecosystem.
- QualcommcoreActive contributor working on Hexagon DSP architecture port and Embedded Linker (ELD) project for Zephyr RTOS integration.
- WitekiominorOrganizing Zephyr community meetups in Lyon, France. Provides embedded software development services using Zephyr.
- Würth Elektronik GroupminorHardware sponsor for Vienna meetup, providing electronic components and support for Zephyr community events.
- BeagleBoard.orgcoreBeagleBoard.org expanded its involvement to Associate member level to deepen collaboration in embedded and edge computing with the Zephyr Project.
- Chengdu Jingrong Lianchuang TechnologyminorJoined as Silver member bringing embedded systems expertise from China to the Zephyr ecosystem.
- Schneider ElectriccoreJoined as Silver member, bringing industrial automation expertise and strengthening Zephyr's presence in industrial IoT applications.
- Savoir-faire LinuxminorJoined as Silver member contributing open-source expertise and embedded systems capabilities to the ecosystem.
- openEulercoreExpanded involvement to Associate member level to deepen collaboration in edge computing and AI infrastructure.
- EmbeddminorJoined as Silver member contributing embedded systems development expertise to the ecosystem.
- SevenLabminorJoined as Silver member bringing specialized embedded solutions capabilities to the Zephyr ecosystem.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Zephyr Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Contiki-NG: Open-source OS for IoT with deep history in low-power, networked embedded devices. Targets a similar constrained-device footprint and developer community as Zephyr.
- NuttX: Apache-governed open-source RTOS with POSIX-like APIs targeting microcontrollers and small microprocessors. Comparable architecture scope, similar community-led governance model, and overlapping use cases in drones and industrial IoT.
- RIOT OS: Open-source IoT-focused OS with strong community roots in academia and Europe. Competes with Zephyr in low-power wireless sensor networks and constrained-device deployments.
- FreeRTOS: Widely deployed open-source RTOS now stewarded by Amazon. Directly competes with Zephyr for microcontroller-based embedded development, particularly within AWS-connected IoT workflows.
- Azure RTOS (ThreadX): Microsoft's embedded RTOS family (ThreadX, NetX Duo, GUIX, FileX, USBX). Competes head-to-head with Zephyr in industrial and consumer IoT, especially for Azure-integrated devices.
- Apache Mynewt: Apache-governed open-source RTOS aimed at constrained IoT devices with Bluetooth LE support. Directly comparable in license, governance and target footprint, with overlapping sensor/IoT use cases.
Broad incumbents
- BlackBerry QNX: Commercial real-time OS for automotive, medical and industrial safety-certified embedded systems. Represents the established safety-certified incumbent against which Zephyr's CRA-aligned security story competes.
- Green Hills INTEGRITY RTOS: High-assurance commercial RTOS for safety- and security-critical embedded systems in aerospace, automotive and medical markets. Comparable positioning to Zephyr for long-lifecycle certified products.
- SEGGER embOS: Commercial RTOS for embedded microcontrollers with strong tooling integration. Competes with Zephyr for commercial embedded developers who prefer a commercially licensed, supported alternative.
- Wind River VxWorks: Long-established commercial RTOS widely used in aerospace, defense, industrial and automotive safety-critical applications. Serves as the proprietary incumbent Zephyr's safety/security roadmap increasingly targets.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Zephyr Project social profiles
Digital presenceZephyr Project compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Zephyr Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Zephyr Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Zephyr Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Zephyr Project 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 Zephyr Project
What does Zephyr Project do?
Zephyr Project provides an open-source, scalable real-time operating system (RTOS) for embedded systems, supporting microcontrollers and microprocessors across architectures including ARM, RISC-V, x86, ARC, and MIPS. The RTOS ships under the Apache 2.0 license with native out-of-the-box support for over 1,000 boards and 300+ integrated sensors, enabling products ranging from highly constrained devices (<8KB Flash, <5KB RAM) to complex multi-core systems. Companion deliverables include the Zephyr SDK (v1.0), comprehensive documentation, long-term support (LTS) releases, and a Vulnerability Alert Registry for coordinated security disclosures.
Is Zephyr Project a public or private company?
Zephyr Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Zephyr Project founded?
Zephyr Project was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Zephyr Project based?
Zephyr Project is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Zephyr Project make money?
One revenue line is on record: open Source Distribution.
Who are Zephyr Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Contiki-NG, NuttX, RIOT OS, FreeRTOS, Azure RTOS (ThreadX) and Apache Mynewt. Broad incumbents are BlackBerry QNX, Green Hills INTEGRITY RTOS, SEGGER embOS and Wind River VxWorks.
Does Zephyr Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Zephyr Project.
What industry is Zephyr Project in?
Zephyr Project's product category is Real-Time Operating System (Embedded Software). Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEACAL, API-Led Integration Middleware (Integration Gateways). Its NAICS code is 5415 and its SIC code is 7373.