What Syntacore does

Syntacore is a privately held semiconductor IP company founded in 2015 that designs and licenses customizable RISC-V microprocessor cores and supporting development tools to semiconductor companies and system-on-chip (SoC) designers. The company's product portfolio comprises ten basic, silicon-proven cores — the open-source SCR1 (32-bit microcontroller-class, available under the SHL license) and the SCR3 through SCR9 family covering higher-performance, Linux-capable, multicore, and entry-level server-class applications. Syntacore complements the IP with the Syntacore Development Toolkit (SC-DT), which bundles GCC/LLVM toolchains, Eclipse and Visual Studio Code integrations, GDB and OpenOCD debuggers, QEMU simulation, and an FPGA SDK supporting major Xilinx and Intel/Altera boards, plus pre-built and tested Zephyr 4.3 and FreeRTOS support, bootloaders, HAL/BSP, and reference designs.

The company generates revenue primarily through IP licensing and royalties on its processor cores, supplemented by professional services that include architectural and microarchitectural tuning, ISA configuration, and compiler optimizations delivered via an SLA-backed servicedesk. Distribution is handled through direct enterprise sales with dedicated worldwide and APAC channels, plus regional field application engineering support from offices in Yerevan, Armenia and Taipei, Taiwan, while the company operates as a founding member of RISC-V International since 2015. Syntacore targets nine end-markets — IoT, Industrial Automation, Storage, Embedded, Telecom, AI/ML, Enterprise, PC/Laptops, and Networking — with deep integrations into the broader RISC-V toolchain ecosystem including SEGGER, Lauterbach, and Ashling debug probes and IDEs.

Name

Syntacore

Legal name

Syntacore

Website

https://syntacore.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Syntacore is a privately held semiconductor IP company that designs and licenses customizable, silicon-proven RISC-V processor cores (SCR1 through SCR9) and a complete software/tooling ecosystem to semiconductor and SoC design customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Semiconductor Processor IP

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

akta.pro primary industry

Hardware/Chip Design IP Cores (Processor, Interface, Analog, Security) (HDAHAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

IP Enablement, Characterization & Porting Services (HDAHAFAI), Network/Infrastructure Processors (Switching/Routing/SmartNIC DPUs) (HDAHAJAH)

Keywords

• RISC-V processor IP
• Semiconductor IP cores
• Embedded processor design
• Microcontroller core licensing
• Silicon-proven cores

Headquarters

HQ city

Moscow

HQ country

Russia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Processor IP Licensing: Licensing of RISC-V processor IP cores to semiconductor companies and system-on-chip designers. The company offers ten basic, silicon-proven, fully customizable cores that fit various application needs.
2. Professional Services and Technical Support: Comprehensive technical support including architectural and microarchitectural tuning, ISA configuration, compiler optimizations, and professional SLA-based support for registered customers through Servicedesk.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Syntacore develops and licenses customizable, silicon-proven RISC-V processor IP cores (SCR1 through SCR9) ranging from entry-level microcontrollers to entry-level server-class applications. The IP is complemented by a complete software and tools ecosystem, including GCC/LLVM-based toolchains, IDE plugins, debuggers, QEMU simulation, RTOS support (Zephyr, FreeRTOS), FPGA development kits, and professional architectural tuning and customization services.

Product overview

Syntacore offers a portfolio of ten basic, silicon-proven RISC-V processor IP cores (SCR1 through SCR9, plus additional variants) ranging from entry-level MCU to entry-level server-class applications. The product line includes the open-source SCR1 core (32-bit microcontroller-class with Min/Base/Max configurations), mid-range cores (SCR3-SCR7), and high-performance cores (SCR9). These cores are complemented by a complete software and tools ecosystem comprising the Syntacore Development Toolkit (SC-DT) with GCC/LLVM toolchains, IDE plugins, debuggers, and simulators, plus an FPGA SDK with pre-built images and board support. The company also provides professional services for custom core configurations and integration support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SCR1 RISC-V Core A compact, 32-bit, energy-efficient microcontroller-class RISC-V core available in Min/Base/Max configurations. Supports RV32I/EMC instruction set, 2-4 stage in-order pipeline, TCM up to 64KB, AXI4/AHB-Lite and JTAG/cJTAG interfaces. Distributed under SHL open-source license for unrestricted commercial and academic use.
• SCR3 RISC-V Core A silicon-proven, fully customizable RISC-V processor IP core from Syntacore's portfolio for higher-performance embedded applications.
• SCR4 RISC-V Core A silicon-proven, fully customizable RISC-V processor IP core from Syntacore's portfolio targeting mid-range performance applications.
• SCR5 RISC-V Core A silicon-proven, fully customizable RISC-V processor IP core from Syntacore's portfolio targeting Linux-capable systems.
• SCR6 RISC-V Core A silicon-proven, fully customizable RISC-V processor IP core from Syntacore's portfolio targeting advanced applications.
• SCR7 RISC-V Core A silicon-proven, fully customizable RISC-V processor IP core from Syntacore's portfolio for high-performance applications.
• SCR9 RISC-V Core A silicon-proven, fully customizable RISC-V processor IP core targeting entry-level server-class applications, with support for multicore, virtualization, and hypervisor configurations.
• Syntacore Development Toolkit (SC-DT) Comprehensive RISC-V development suite including GCC/LLVM-based toolchains, Visual Studio Code and Eclipse IDE plugins, GDB and OpenOCD debuggers, QEMU simulator, bootloader, HAL/BSP, sample applications, and documentation. For semiconductor and SoC design teams.
• FPGA SDK Ready-to-use FPGA development package including IP core, peripheral modules, standard interfaces, memory, pre-built images, bootloader, Zephyr OS support, tests, HAL/BSP, and development environments. Supports Digilent Arty, Nexys4DDR, Altera Arria-V, and Terasic DE10-Lite boards.
• Essential System Software Pre-built and optimized system software components including toolchains, operating systems, bootloaders, and runtimes designed to work with Syntacore's SCR cores.
• Professional Services Professional services including architectural and microarchitectural tuning, ISA configuration, compiler optimizations, and SLA-based technical support for registered customers integrating SCR cores into their custom silicon.

Quantifiable outcome

• SCR1 Max configuration achieves Coremark per/MHz of 2.64/3.05, surpassing ARM Cortex-M0 and approaching Cortex-M3 levels
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RISC-V InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Syntacore is an active founding member of RISC-V International since 2015. The company contributes to the development of the open and flexible RISC-V ISA standard and promotes the unified processor architecture standard for all classes of devices.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SiFive: Leading RISC-V processor IP vendor offering a comparable range of application-class and MCU cores with a similar open-core commercial licensing model. Most direct head-to-head competitor in RISC-V IP licensing for SoC designers across IoT, automotive, and high-performance segments.
• Andes Technology: Public Taiwan-based RISC-V processor IP company with comparable AndeStar/V5 core families spanning MCU to Linux-capable application processors. Competes head-to-head with Syntacore's SCR portfolio across embedded and IoT customers in APAC.
• Codasip: RISC-V IP vendor specializing in customizable processor cores and Studio toolchain, similar to Syntacore's SCR portfolio + SC-DT model. Targets the same SoC designer customer base with comparable emphasis on ISA configuration and architectural flexibility.
• MIPS Technology: Processor IP company now owned by GlobalFoundries-adjacent entities that has re-platformed around RISC-V. Competes in the same multi-core, Linux-capable application processor category with similar automotive and embedded focus.

Broad incumbents

• Imagination Technologies: Established IP vendor with RISC-V CPU offerings alongside its dominant GPU IP portfolio. Competes with Syntacore in embedded/edge CPU IP but typically as part of broader multi-IP deals rather than standalone CPU specialization.
• Arm Holdings: Dominant incumbent processor IP vendor whose Cortex-M and Cortex-A families occupy the slots Syntacore's SCR cores target. Sets the PPA and ecosystem benchmark against which Syntacore's competitive claims are measured.
• Cadence (Tensilica): Tensilica customizable processor IP business competes in DSP and application processor segments where Syntacore's higher-end SCR cores (SCR5–SCR9) are positioned, with similar architectural-tuning professional services offerings.
• VeriSilicon: China-based semiconductor IP platform company offering a range of processor, GPU, and SoC IP. Competes in the same fabless customer base with comparable bundled IP-plus-services model across IoT and AI/edge verticals.

Others

• Synopsys (DesignWare ARC): EDA giant offering ARC processor IP bundled with its broader design tool platform, competing in the same MCU and embedded application processor IP market with strong existing customer relationships through EDA tool sales channels.

Emerging players

• Tenstorrent: RISC-V-based AI accelerator and processor IP company focused on data center and AI workloads. An emerging competitor in the higher-performance end of Syntacore's SCR portfolio roadmap where RISC-V is moving into compute-intensive applications.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/syntacore
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/syntacore

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Syntacore