What Ashling does

Ashling (legally Ashling Microsystems Ltd.) is an Irish private company founded in 1982, headquartered in Limerick with a design centre in Kochi, India, regional sales offices in the United States, and partner offices across China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Canada. The company sells embedded development tools and engineering services to semiconductor companies, SoC developers, and AI-silicon startups. Its primary product is the RiscFree SDK, a cross-platform integrated development environment bundling an IDE, GCC/LLVM compiler toolchains, a project manager, a build system, and a debugger that supports heterogeneous multi-core debugging across RISC-V, Arm Cortex, Synopsys ARC/ARC-V, MIPS, and DSP architectures. The SDK integrates with pre-silicon simulation and emulation platforms (QEMU, Verilator, Synopsys VCS/Zebu/HAPS, Cadence Palladium, Siemens Veloce proFPGA, Imperas, Altera Simics) and RTOS-aware debugging for Zephyr, FreeRTOS, and µC/OS.

Ashling complements the SDK with three hardware probes: Opella-XD (high-performance JTAG/SWD/cJTAG/CoreSight debug at up to 100 MHz and 3 MB/s), Opella-LD (low-cost, OpenOCD-compliant entry-level probe), and Vitra-XS (real-time RISC-V E-Trace/N-Trace and Arm CoreSight trace capture up to 400 MHz with 512 MB onboard storage). A Visual Studio Code extension extends RiscFree into the dominant developer IDE and supports Docker, GitHub Codespaces, and GitHub Copilot integrations.

Ashling monetises through one-time/perpetual floating and node-locked RiscFree SDK licences (multi-year enterprise contracts), unit-priced probe hardware, and professional services organised around a Tools-as-a-Service (TaaS) model for custom SDK development, a Compiler Toolchains service delivered jointly with Embecosm on GCC/LLVM, and an AI Toolchains service for PyTorch/ExecuTorch and ROCm deployments. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales, regional channel partners, and active participation in RISC-V International (where Ashling vice-chairs the Trace Group), Embedded World, and RISC-V summits to engage semiconductor customers such as Intel/Altera, Synopsys, Western Digital, Qualcomm, MIPS, OpenHW Group, Akeana, Tenstorrent, and HCLTech. The company operates under ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001:2013 certifications at both design centres.

Name

Ashling

Legal name

Ashling Microsystems Ltd.

Website

https://ashling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ashling, founded in 1982 in Limerick, Ireland, provides embedded development tools (RiscFree SDK) and debug/trace probes to semiconductor, SoC, and AI-silicon companies across RISC-V, Arm, ARC, and MIPS architectures. It monetises through enterprise software licences, hardware probes, and custom SDK engineering services globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Embedded Development Tools

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Other Computer Related Services (541519)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Developer Tooling & SDK Platforms (BPAMAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs) (HDAEANAJ)

Keywords

• Embedded development tools
• Debug and trace probes
• RISC-V software toolchains
• SoC debug SDK
• Embedded software IDE

Headquarters

HQ city

Limerick

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses: RiscFree SDK sold as floating or node-locked licenses. Includes IDE, compiler toolchains, and debug capabilities.
2. Hardware Probes: Debug and trace probes (Opella-XD, Opella-LD, Vitra-XS) sold as products with optional accessories and adapters.
3. Tools-as-a-Service (TaaS): Custom SDK development services where Ashling builds complete toolchain ecosystems for partner devices. IP can be transferred to customer or placed in escrow.
4. Compiler Toolchain Services: GCC and LLVM compiler toolchain development, optimization, and validation services in partnership with Embecosm.
5. AI Toolchain Services: AI tooling infrastructure services including PyTorch/ExecuTorch support, custom ISA extensions, and AI accelerator debugging solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ashling sells and supports embedded development tools and engineering services for semiconductor companies and embedded systems developers. Its flagship product is the RiscFree SDK — a cross-platform IDE with integrated GCC/LLVM compiler toolchains, debugger, project manager and build system — paired with hardware debug and trace probes (Opella-XD, Opella-LD, Vitra-XS) supporting heterogeneous multi-core SoCs across RISC-V, Arm Cortex, Synopsys ARC/ARC-V and MIPS architectures. Revenue is supplemented by Tools-as-a-Service custom SDK development, AI toolchain services (PyTorch/ExecuTorch on RISC-V microcontrollers, AMD ROCm), and compiler toolchain services delivered with Embecosm.

Product overview

Ashling offers a unified embedded development tool portfolio centered on the RiscFree SDK platform, which provides IDE, compiler, and debugger capabilities across RISC-V, Arm, ARC, ARC-V, and MIPS architectures. The hardware line includes three probes: Opella-XD (high-performance debug), Opella-LD (compact entry-level debug), and Vitra-XS (high-performance trace), all working with RiscFree. A Visual Studio Code Extension extends RiscFree capabilities into the VS Code environment. Services include AI Toolchains (PyTorch/ExecuTorch deployment, AMD ROCm support), Compiler Toolchains (GCC/LLVM), and Tools-as-a-Service (TaaS) for custom SDK development. The portfolio supports pre- and post-silicon development from creation through build, test, debug, trace, and validation for SoCs, MCUs, and AI accelerators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RiscFree: Ashling's cross platform SDK including IDE, Compiler, Debugger, and Visual Studio Code Extension for embedded development.
• Opella-XD
• Opella-LD
• Vitra-XS
• Tools-as-a-Service (TaaS)

Products and services

• RiscFree SDK Cross-platform SDK providing IDE, integrated GCC/LLVM compiler toolchain, project manager, build system and debugger for embedded development. Supports homogeneous and heterogeneous multi-core debugging for RISC-V, Arm, ARC, ARC-V and MIPS cores via Ashling probes, with pre- and post-silicon bring-up (QEMU, Synopsys VCS/Zebu/HAPS, Cadence Palladium, Siemens Veloce proFPGA, Verilator). Sold as floating or node-locked licenses to semiconductor and embedded systems developers.
• RiscFree Visual Studio Code Extension VS Code extension installed from the Microsoft Visual Studio Marketplace providing source-code creation, editing, build and debug support for RISC-V. Supports simultaneous heterogeneous core debugging, GitHub Codespaces cloud-based development, Docker containers and GitHub Copilot AI coding features. Targeted at embedded developers using the VS Code ecosystem for RISC-V work.
• Opella-XD Debug Probe

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce time-to-market for custom silicon through optimized toolchains and custom SDK development
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration21 records

AI capability5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.

• GlobalFoundries / MIPSstrategicTechnology or Integration · 18 June 2026Ashling supports GlobalFoundries' expanded MIPS portfolio following completion of Synopsys Processor IP Solutions acquisition. Ashling's portfolio includes IDEs, compilers, debuggers, SDKs, and hardware probes supporting development across MIPS, ARC, and RISC-V ISAs. Positioned to support customers across broader portfolio spanning high performance compute, embedded processing, and custom silicon.
• QuintauriscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Strategic partnership to support RISC-V based embedded systems development. Quintauris provides RISC-V reference platforms and profiling solutions; Ashling provides RiscFree SDK development tools. Collaboration strengthens RISC-V embedded software ecosystem by combining platforms with development tools to help teams build, debug, and deploy RISC-V products faster.
• SiemenscoreTechnology or Integration · 10 March 2026Joint cooperation to deliver integrated hardware and software solution for Siemens Tessent Embedded Analytics software in advanced SoC designs. Ashling RiscFree SDK and Opella-XD/Vitra-XS probes integrate with Siemens Tessent Host Suite. Provides seamless connectivity and workflow integration for debugging, tracing, and analytics across SoC lifecycle.
• MirafrastrategicTechnology or Integration · 16 February 2026Collaboration to enable full debug support for Mirafra's 'Ramanujan' 22-nm RISC-V and Arm based SoC within RiscFree SDK. Ashling provided debug subsystem bring-up support for the Ramanujan project's heterogeneous dual cores (ARM A55 and Incore Azurite RISC-V). Partnership ensures developers have proven debug and trace environment from day one.
• ArteriscoreTechnology or Integration · 24 November 2025Partnership to deliver integrated solutions connecting Arteris system IP (FlexNoC network-on-chip interconnect IP) with Ashling debug and trace tools (RiscFree SDK). Collaboration aims to streamline SoC development by aligning roadmaps and facilitating efficient debug and trace for early software bring-up across the SoC lifecycle.
• EmbecosmcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025Collaboration for AI toolchain development, specifically extending PyTorch AI to RISC-V embedded devices via ExecuTorch. Partnership spans over 8 years of toolchain collaboration. Embecosm provides compiler and AI toolchain expertise complementing Ashling's embedded tools. Jointly delivering ExecuTorch implementations for resource-constrained devices including RISC-V microcontrollers.
• Embecosm (Compiler Toolchains)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Partnership delivering complete compiler toolchain solutions with focus on GNU GCC and LLVM. Jointly provides toolchain components, optimization and verification, ISA and library support, sanitizers and security hardening, testing and validation, and compliance certification. Partnership spans over 8 years serving customers from Tier-1 semiconductor companies to startups.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Cadence Design Systems: Cadence provides Palladium emulation and broader EDA flows that integrate with Ashling debug tools. As a broad EDA incumbent, Cadence overlaps at the system-level debug/bring-up stage where Ashling competes.
• Siemens EDA (Tessent): Siemens EDA's Tessent Embedded Analytics is a strategic Ashling partner for SoC debug integration. As a broad EDA incumbent, Siemens competes across the broader SoC design and bring-up flow in which Ashling's tools sit.
• Synopsys (MetaWare Development Toolkit): Synopsys provides MetaWare Development Toolkit and ARC processor tools, and is also an Ashling customer via ARC. As a broad EDA incumbent, Synopsys is both a partner and a competitor across compiler, debugger, and SDK tooling.
• ARM (Keil MDK): ARM's Keil MDK is the dominant embedded IDE/toolchain for Arm Cortex-M and Cortex-A development. While Ashling also supports Arm, ARM is a broad incumbent competitor with significantly larger R&D and ecosystem reach.

Others

• Embecosm: Compiler toolchain specialist (GCC/LLVM) and 8+ year Ashling partner. While not a direct commercial competitor, Embecosm delivers overlapping compiler/AI toolchain services and is the most strategically aligned peer in the embedded tooling ecosystem.
• RISC-V International: Standards body governing the RISC-V ISA. Ashling is a strategic member and vice-chair of the Trace Group. Not a commercial peer, but a key ecosystem/standards organization shaping demand for Ashling's RISC-V tooling.
• OpenHW Group: Provider of open-source RISC-V cores (CORE-V) and reference platforms. Ashling supplies RiscFree SDK and Opella-LD for the CORE-V DevKit. Comparable as a RISC-V ecosystem enabler rather than a direct commercial competitor.

Direct peers

• IAR Systems: Swedish provider of IAR Embedded Workbench IDE and compiler toolchains for Arm, RISC-V, and other embedded architectures. Closely comparable to Ashling's RiscFree SDK offering in compiler/debug tooling, with overlap in target customers.
• Lauterbach: German supplier of high-end JTAG debug probes and TRACE32 IDE/tools. Directly comparable to Ashling in debug probe and trace tooling across Arm, RISC-V, MIPS and ARC architectures, and competes for the same semiconductor customer set.
• Segger Microcontroller: German supplier of J-Link debug probes, Ozone debugger, and embedded development tools. Competes with Ashling in the entry-level to mid-range debug probe segment (vs. Opella-LD/XD) and in IDE/debug software.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Ashling