Timebeat
Timebeat is a London-based precision timing company providing hardware, software, and cloud clock synchronization (NTP, PTP, White Rabbit) for finance, government/defence, telecom/5G, and broadcast customers requiring nanosecond-level accuracy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Timebeat does
Timebeat.app Ltd is a London-headquartered, privately held company that builds end-to-end precision clock synchronization solutions spanning hardware, software, cloud services, and consultancy. Its technology stack supports NTP, PTP (IEEE 1588), and White Rabbit protocols, combining GNSS grandmaster clocks, rack-mount appliances, PCIe timing cards, and software clients for Windows and Linux to deliver accuracy ranging from sub-30ns in standard deployments to sub-nanosecond in White Rabbit configurations. Proprietary offerings include PTP+Squared (an IEEE-1588 PTP Quorum mesh for multi-site timing distribution), Timebeat Sync Insight (cloud-based monitoring and visualization), a Clock Sync Verification service, and a Multi-Tenant PTP Distribution (TaaS) wholesale timing product. The Open Time Project, established in 2024, anchors an open-source community around timing technology.
Timebeat targets four primary verticals: Finance & Enterprise (MiFID II timestamping and trading-system synchronization), Government & Defence (resilient PNT against GNSS jamming and spoofing), Telecom, Private 5G and IoT (5G TDD synchronization, O-RAN), and Broadcast & Media (SMPTE-2110, AES67, Dante). Named customers include the University of Bristol Smart Internet Lab (6G fronthaul research), Ballast Networks (private 5G), Cumucore (TSN over 5G), the Portuguese Autonomous Vehicle Research Programme, Atlantic Technological University, and a North American municipal audio network.
The company operates a tiered commercial model: Timebeat Free (freemium NTP/PTP software with monitoring dashboards), Timebeat Enterprise (paid subscription with hardware timestamping, MiFID II compliance, 24/7 support), Timebeat Cloud (fully managed hosted service with SLA), hardware sales (Open Time Appliance line, Open Timecard family, Open Time Server, OCP-TAP Timecard) via store.timebeat.app, and Synchronisation Consultancy & Advisory services. Distribution runs through direct enterprise sales in EMEA and APAC plus channel and technology partners including Cumucore, Ballast Networks, SiTime, Vesper, Rakon, STAC, and BammTech. Co-founders Ian Gough and Lasse Johnsen lead the company, with COO David Arnold, Head of Sales Martin James, and a board that includes Metamako founder David Snowdon and ex-Metamako CEO Kevin Covington.
Timebeat firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Timebeat
- Legal name
- Timebeat.app Ltd
- Website
- https://timebeat.app
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Timebeat is a London-based precision timing company providing hardware, software, and cloud clock synchronization (NTP, PTP, White Rabbit) for finance, government/defence, telecom/5G, and broadcast customers requiring nanosecond-level accuracy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Timebeat industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Precision Time Synchronization
- NAICS
- Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)
- SIC
- Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Grandmaster Clocks (PTP IEEE 1588) (HDAFAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Primary Reference Time Sources (GNSS/GPS Disciplined Oscillators) (HDAFAKAA), Time Servers (NTP/PTP Hybrid) (HDAFAKAD), Boundary Clocks & Transparent Clocks (HDAFAKAC), Timing, Synchronization & Precision Clocking (PTP, Genlock) (MPAHAKAL)
Keywords
Where Timebeat is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Timebeat business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Timebeat Free: Free version of sync software providing NTP and PTP synchronization with basic monitoring dashboards. No cost to users; used as a lead-in to paid tiers.
- Timebeat Enterprise: Licensed software for organizations requiring advanced features including hardware timestamping, MiFID II compliance, 24/7 support, and backup time sources. Includes Windows and Linux support.
- Timebeat Cloud: Fully managed cloud service with optional SLA, Timebeat UTC time feed, automated PDF reports, and 24/7 managed support. Revenue from subscription and managed services.
- Hardware Products: Sale of timing hardware including Open Time Appliance, Open Timecard, Open Timecard Mini, Open Time Server, and GNSS Grandmaster devices. One-time hardware purchase model.
- Consultancy Services: Synchronization consultancy and advisory services providing tailored support for deployment and configuration of timing infrastructure.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Free | Timebeat Free - Basic sync software at no cost |
| Subscription | Annual | Timebeat Enterprise - Full-featured sync with compliance |
| Subscription | Annual | Timebeat Cloud - Fully managed cloud service |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Timebeat product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Timebeat delivers precision clock synchronization across the full timing workflow (acquisition, synchronization, distribution, design) through a combination of NTP/PTP synchronization software (Timebeat Enterprise, Timebeat FREE, Timebeat Cloud), GNSS and IEEE-1588 grandmaster clock hardware (Open Time Appliance family, Open Timecard, Open Time Server, OCP-TAP Timecard, White Rabbit node), and professional consultancy services. Its core differentiator is sub-nanosecond accuracy via the White Rabbit technology stack, serving finance, defence, telecom/5G, and broadcast/media customers who require MiFID II compliance, GNSS-resilient PNT, and nanosecond-level timing.
Product overview
Timebeat offers a comprehensive timing and clock synchronization ecosystem comprising both software and hardware products. The software portfolio includes Timebeat Enterprise (full-featured NTP/PTP sync with compliance reporting), Timebeat Cloud (fully managed hosted service), and Timebeat FREE (free basic sync with monitoring dashboards). Supporting software products include PTP+Squared for multi-domain mesh synchronization, Timebeat Sync Insight for monitoring visualization, Clock Sync Verification Service, and Multi-Tenant PTP Distribution (TaaS). Hardware products span the Open Time line including the Open Time Node (White Rabbit ultra-precise sub-nanosecond timing), Open Time Appliance (rack-mount appliance), Open Time Appliance Mini (compact/mobile deployment), Open Timecard (PCIe GNSS grandmaster), Open Timecard Mini 3.0 (compact embedded timing), Open Time Server (GNSS/IEEE-1588 grandmaster), and OCP-TAP Timecard. Professional services include Synchronisation Consultancy & Advisory. The platform supports NTPv4, PTPv2/IEEE 1588, 1PPS, and NMEA protocols, and is designed for industries including finance, telecom/5G, defense/government, and broadcast/media.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Timebeat Enterprise: Full-featured clock synchronization software with advanced capabilities including MiFID II compliance, hardware timestamping, and full support.
- Timebeat Cloud
- Timebeat Free
- Open Time Appliance
- Open Timecard
- Open Timecard Mini
- Open Time Server
- PTP+Squared
- Open Time Project
Products and services
- Timebeat Enterprise Full-featured NTP and PTP synchronization software for Windows and Linux with advanced clock sync algorithms, hardware timestamping, backup time sources, advanced outlier filters, customizable step limits and MiFID II compliance reporting for enterprise environments.
- Timebeat Cloud Fully managed cloud-hosted clock synchronization service with managed elastic database, managed Grafana front-end, automated PDF reports, optional Timebeat UTC time feed and optional SLA support for organizations wanting outsourced timing operations.
- Timebeat FREE Free NTP and PTP synchronization software for Linux and Windows with out-of-the-box Kibana monitoring dashboards, providing basic synchronization and visualization at no cost as a freemium entry point to Timebeat Enterprise and Cloud.
- PTP+Squared (IEEE-1588 PTP Quorum) Multi-domain PTP synchronization mesh solution enabling scalable, highly accurate timing distribution across multi-site and multi-protocol environments, with native support for AES67, Dante and other networked audio/video protocols.
- Timebeat Sync Insight Synchronization monitoring and visualization dashboard providing data-rich dashboards and analytics for monitoring timing accuracy, drift and health across entire device estates.
- Clock Sync Verification Service UTC verification service for validating clock synchronization accuracy against reference time sources for compliance, audit and assurance use cases.
- Multi-Tenant PTP Distribution (TaaS) Time-as-a-Service offering for multi-tenant PTP distribution, enabling centralized timing management across multiple customers or organizational units from a single timing backbone.
- Synchronisation Consultancy & Advisory Tailored consulting and advisory services for synchronization architecture design, implementation and optimization, matching Timebeat's expertise to specific customer timing requirements.
- Open Time Node (White Rabbit) Ultra-precise White Rabbit timing node delivering sub-nanosecond accuracy with robust GNSS holdover and multi-source failover for data center and edge environments, with flexible outputs including 10 MHz, PPS and PTP.
- Open Time Appliance Rack-mount timing appliance providing precision synchronization across enterprise networks with sub-microsecond precision, high availability and scalability for data center and enterprise deployments.
- Open Time Appliance Mini Compact timing appliance available in standard and battery-powered versions for mobile and in-vehicle deployments requiring sub-30ns synchronization accuracy.
- Open Timecard GNSS grandmaster PCIe card integrating Septentrio GNSS technology to deliver precision timing directly in server environments.
- Open Timecard Mini 3.0 Compact timing card designed for roadside units and embedded timing applications with CM5 carrier board compatibility for distributed infrastructure and edge deployments.
- Open Time Server GNSS and IEEE-1588 grandmaster clock server providing network infrastructure timing distribution for enterprise and telecom environments.
- OCP-TAP Timecard Open Compute Project Timecard enabling timing integration in OCP-compliant hyperscale and data center infrastructure.
Quantifiable outcome
- Sub-30ns timing accuracy delivered for autonomous vehicle sensor fusion across moving vehicles and trailers
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Timebeat
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Timebeat technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Timebeat partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- CumucorecoreCumucore partnered with Timebeat to enhance deterministic connectivity capabilities in private 5G networks through TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) over 5G technology for industrial automation. The collaboration addresses delivering TSN-level precision to mobile industrial devices like Autonomous Mobile Robots, enabling predictable latency and synchronized operations across wireless industrial networks.
- Ballast NetworkscoreBallast Networks integrates Timebeat Timecard into their edge compute platform for private LTE and neutral host networks. Timebeat hardware provides GNSS-disciplined timing as part of Ballast's standard deployment architecture for critical infrastructure connectivity.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Timebeat competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Meinberg Funkuhren: German manufacturer of PTP/NTP grandmaster clocks, time servers, and GNSS receivers. Closest direct competitor to Timebeat's grandmaster and time-server product line across the same finance/telecom/broadcast verticals.
- Calnex Solutions: UK-listed specialist in PTP/NTP/sync testing and measurement equipment for telecom and finance. Overlaps with Timebeat on protocol expertise and the same enterprise buyer base for timing assurance.
- Oscilloquartz (ADTRAN): ADTRAN's Oscilloquartz division sells PTP grandmaster clocks, GNSS-disciplined oscillators, and synchronization solutions to telecom carriers and financial networks, competing head-to-head with Timebeat's grandmaster portfolio.
- Elproma: Polish manufacturer of NTP/PTP time servers and GNSS grandmaster clocks serving telecom, energy, and broadcast customers — a comparable European specialist to Timebeat in the time-server category.
- Seven Solutions: Spanish vendor specializing in White Rabbit timing nodes and sub-nanosecond synchronization, often considered the most direct commercial counterpart to Timebeat's White Rabbit product line.
Broad incumbents
- Microchip Technology: Large US semiconductor vendor whose TimeProvider/SyncServer grandmaster line (acquired with Microsemi) is the dominant carrier-grade timing platform globally. Competes with Timebeat across all major verticals as part of a much broader component and system portfolio.
- Spirent Communications: Established test-and-measurement vendor offering IEEE 1588/PTP and synchronization test solutions to telecom operators and equipment makers; overlaps with Timebeat's protocol expertise and customer base but from a test-instrument angle.
- Safran (Orolia): Safran/Orolia offers Spectratime and VersaPNT resilient PNT solutions including GNSS grandmasters and oscillators, competing with Timebeat in defence, government, and telecom timing deployments.
Regional players
- Chronos Technology: UK-based specialist in timing, synchronization, and GNSS-resilient PNT solutions for telecom, defence, and critical infrastructure. Comparable to Timebeat in product scope but operates primarily in the UK market.
Emerging players
- Qulsar (ADVA): Acquired by ADVA, Qulsar provided PTP grandmaster and boundary-clock technology for 5G and financial networks, directly overlapping with Timebeat's PTP+Squared and grandmaster offerings in carrier and private 5G segments.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Timebeat social profiles
Digital presenceTimebeat financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Timebeat leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Timebeat funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Timebeat 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 Timebeat
What does Timebeat do?
Timebeat delivers precision clock synchronization across the full timing workflow (acquisition, synchronization, distribution, design) through a combination of NTP/PTP synchronization software (Timebeat Enterprise, Timebeat FREE, Timebeat Cloud), GNSS and IEEE-1588 grandmaster clock hardware (Open Time Appliance family, Open Timecard, Open Time Server, OCP-TAP Timecard, White Rabbit node), and professional consultancy services. Its core differentiator is sub-nanosecond accuracy via the White Rabbit technology stack, serving finance, defence, telecom/5G, and broadcast/media customers who require MiFID II compliance, GNSS-resilient PNT, and nanosecond-level timing.
Is Timebeat a public or private company?
Timebeat is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Timebeat founded?
Timebeat was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Timebeat based?
Timebeat is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Timebeat make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Timebeat Free is the primary driver. The others are timebeat Enterprise, timebeat Cloud, hardware Products and consultancy Services.
Who are Timebeat's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Meinberg Funkuhren, Calnex Solutions, Oscilloquartz (ADTRAN), Elproma and Seven Solutions. Broad incumbents are Microchip Technology, Spirent Communications and Safran (Orolia). Chronos Technology is listed as a regional player. Qulsar (ADVA) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Timebeat have an API?
No public API is recorded for Timebeat.
What industry is Timebeat in?
Timebeat's product category is Precision Time Synchronization. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAFAKAB, Grandmaster Clocks (PTP IEEE 1588), with a secondary code of HDAFAKAA, Primary Reference Time Sources (GNSS/GPS Disciplined Oscillators). Its NAICS code is 334519 and its SIC code is 3825.