What Saleae does

Saleae is a privately held, founder-owned test and measurement hardware company founded in 2008 and headquartered in South San Francisco, California. The company designs, manufactures, and sells USB-connected logic analyzers and mixed-signal oscilloscopes (the Logic 8, Logic Pro 8, Logic Pro 16, and Logic MSO product lines), along with accessories such as probes and breakout boards. All hardware is paired with the proprietary Logic 2 desktop software platform, which provides capture, visualization, protocol decoding for 20+ protocols (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, LIN, JTAG, USB 2.0, etc.), and a Python-based Automation API plus a Protocol Analyzer SDK for custom decoders and CI integration.

The company serves a horizontal customer base that includes professional embedded engineers, engineering students and professors, electronics hobbyists, and small-to-medium businesses needing hardware debugging and validation tools. Saleae's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer e-commerce via its Shopify-powered storefront (saleae.com), shipping globally to more than 20 countries across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East with same-business-day fulfillment on in-stock items; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Revenue model is unit-sale hardware plus free bundled software, with no disclosed subscription or licensing tier, and there is no indication of external institutional funding, M&A activity, or strategic partnerships in the available data.

The company is small (11-50 employees) and self-sustaining, with documented operational resilience through the 2020-2023 chip shortage in which the engineering team rapidly redesigned boards to alternative components. Strategic emphasis is on product-led growth, developer ecosystem (SDK, automation API, community forum, feature voting portal), and content marketing via YouTube tutorials and technical documentation rather than channel partnerships or named-account enterprise sales.

Name

Saleae

Legal name

Saleae, Inc.

Website

https://saleae.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Test and Measurement Equipment

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches) (IMAGAFAC)

Keywords

• Logic analyzers
• Mixed-signal oscilloscopes
• Embedded debugging tools
• Protocol decoders
• Signal analysis hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

South San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Saleae designs, manufactures, and sells USB-connected logic analyzers and mixed-signal oscilloscopes (Logic MSO, Logic 8, Logic Pro 8, Logic Pro 16) bundled with its proprietary Logic 2 desktop software. The combined hardware-software platform captures, decodes, and analyzes digital and analog signals across 20+ industry protocols (SPI, I2C, CAN, USB, etc.) for embedded systems engineers and electronics developers.

Product overview

Saleae designs and manufactures a portfolio of electronic test equipment centered around logic analyzers and mixed-signal oscilloscopes. The product line includes the Logic MSO (mixed-signal oscilloscope with 4 analog inputs and 16 digital channels), the Logic analyzer line (Logic 8, Logic Pro 8, and Logic Pro 16 with varying channel counts from 8 to 16), and a complementary range of accessories including probes, breakout boards, and carrying cases. All hardware is powered by the Logic 2 software platform, which provides protocol decoding for over 20 common protocols (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, LIN, I2S, 1-Wire, JTAG, etc.) and supports data export, automation via API, and custom protocol analyzer development via SDK. The products target embedded developers, hobbyists, and professional engineers for debugging and testing digital circuits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Logic MSO: Mixed-signal oscilloscope with four analog inputs and sixteen digital channels, marketed as the best scope for embedded developers.
• Logic
• Logic 2

Products and services

• Logic MSO Mixed-signal oscilloscope with four analog inputs and sixteen digital channels, marketed as the best scope for embedded developers who need both analog and digital signal analysis capabilities.
• Logic Digital Logic Analyzer Digital logic analyzer with multiple channel options (8 and 16 channels depending on model), designed for debugging embedded systems and digital circuits without oscilloscope functionality.
• Logic 8 8-channel USB logic analyzer sold with 2x 4-channel wire harnesses, 16x micro-gripper hooks, USB 2.0 Micro cable, and carrying case.
• Logic Pro 8 8-channel USB 3.0 high-performance logic analyzer with analog recording capability.
• Logic Pro 16 16-channel USB 3.0 high-performance logic analyzer with 4x 4-channel wire harnesses, 32x micro-gripper hooks, and analog recording capability.
• Logic 2 Software Proprietary desktop application for all Saleae logic analyzers and MSO devices, supporting protocol decoding, data capture, visualization, and export. Includes built-in protocol analyzers for SPI, I2C, serial, 1-Wire, CAN, I2S/PCM, and many more protocols. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux with demo mode for hardware-free evaluation.
• Protocol Analyzer SDK SDK for creating custom protocol analyzers, including Low-Level Analyzers (LLAs) and High-Level Analyzers (HLAs) to decode proprietary or custom protocols. Includes a Python-accessible Automation API/Socket API on port 10430 for automating Logic 2 software, managing protocol analyzers, extracting recorded data in real time, and exporting data; supports SSH remote connections and CI environments.
• Digital Probe, 4-Channel 4-channel digital probe with gold-plated connector pins for connecting to test circuits.
• Hands-Free 200 MHz Oscilloscope Probe PCBite SQ200 hands-free 200 MHz oscilloscope probe with flexible cable, compatible with Logic MSO devices.
• Pitch Converter Digital Probe Breakout Board 10-pin pitch converter breakout board designed for use with Saleae digital probes.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Tektronix: Established oscilloscope and logic analyzer vendor with deep enterprise/semiconductor lab relationships. Directly competes with Saleae in mixed-signal debug and offers broader test & measurement portfolios including calibrated service.
• Keysight Technologies: Major T&M incumbent serving electronics, wireless, and semiconductor test markets. Competes with Saleae at the high end of USB-attached logic analysis and offers protocol decode capabilities as part of a much wider instrument portfolio.
• Rohde & Schwarz: Premium T&M incumbent with high-end oscilloscopes and protocol analysis tools. Competes with Saleae Logic MSO at the upper end of the mixed-signal embedded debug market and across aerospace/defense.
• Teledyne LeCroy: High-performance oscilloscope and protocol analyzer vendor with strong roots in serial data and embedded debug. Competes with Saleae at the professional end where bandwidth and protocol depth matter most.
• National Instruments (NI / Emerson Test & Measurement): Modular T&M platform vendor acquired by Emerson serving automated test, embedded validation, and engineering education labs. Overlaps Saleae in university embedded labs and engineers using modular DAQ plus protocol analysis.

Direct peers

• Pico Technology: UK-based maker of USB-attached oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and data loggers targeting embedded engineers. Closely comparable in form factor, price point, and target customer to Saleae's Logic and Logic MSO lineup.
• Total Phase (Beagle analyzers): Vendor of USB-attached protocol analyzers and embedded debug tools (Beagle, Promira, Aardvark). Overlaps with Saleae on protocol-level I2C/SPI/USB/CAN decode use cases for embedded developers.

Emerging players

• Rigol Technologies: Chinese-origin oscilloscope and T&M vendor that has moved upmarket into digital and mixed-signal scopes. Competes with Saleae in price-sensitive hobbyist and prosumer segments and increasingly in the embedded-engineer space.
• Hantek: Low-cost USB oscilloscope and logic analyzer vendor targeting hobbyists and budget-conscious engineers. Overlaps Saleae on entry-level digital capture but generally with less software ecosystem depth.
• DreamSourceLab (DSLogic): Open-source-focused USB logic analyzer vendor with strong developer community ties. Closely comparable niche — affordable USB logic analysis for engineers and makers — with an open SDK ethos similar to Saleae's Protocol Analyzer SDK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/saleae
• Facebookfacebook.com/saleaellc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saleae-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Saleae