Picocom
Picocom is a fabless semiconductor company founded in 2019 that designs 5G NR/LTE small cell baseband SoCs (PC802, PC805) and carrier-grade PHY software for Open RAN equipment manufacturers, mobile network operators, and system integrators globally, with operations in Hangzhou and Bristol.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Picocom does
Picocom is a fabless semiconductor company founded in 2019 that designs and sells 5G NR/LTE baseband SoCs and carrier-grade physical layer software for Open RAN-compliant small cell infrastructure and non-terrestrial networks (NTN). The company is headquartered in Hangzhou, China with an R&D and European base in Bristol, UK, and employs 51-100 staff. Its core products are the PC802, a programmable 4G/5G small cell baseband SoC supporting distributed and integrated RAN architectures via SCF FAPI, O-RAN eCPRI fronthaul, and JESD204B interfaces; and the PC805, the industry's first SoC supporting 25Gbps eCPRI and CPRI fronthaul for 5G small cell O-RU/radio units. Supporting products include the ORANIC PCIe in-line PHY/NIC card for O-DU acceleration, the PC802SCB and PC805RDB development boards, and 5G NR/LTE PHY software.
Picocom's revenue model is primarily one-time chip sales of PC802 and PC805 to small cell equipment manufacturers, supplemented by licensing of associated physical layer software and the sale of development platforms and ORANIC acceleration cards. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with multi-year contracts typical for enterprise semiconductor buyers. The company goes to market through direct enterprise sales to wireless equipment vendors and mobile network operators, supplemented by ODM partnerships (including Accton), system integrators (Software Radio Systems, Radisys), and active participation in industry events (MWC Barcelona, MWC Shanghai, PT Expo China). The customer base spans Chinese operators and equipment makers (China Mobile Research Institute, KiwiCT, BONC, Ecochip, ZKW, Airui Wireless), Korean partners (Wave Electronics, Contela), and European/Western customers (iCana, SRS, Antevia Networks), with over 40 customers using PC802 by May 2023.
The company has positioned itself as a first-mover in dedicated small cell baseband silicon rather than general-purpose processors, with a 'Programmable Processor + Dedicated Processor' SoC architecture that delivers approximately 15% lower cost and 20% lower power versus X86-based alternatives. To address Western security concerns stemming from Chinese ownership, Picocom spun off RANsemi in late 2023 as a separate UK entity for defense and Western markets. The company is privately held, having raised approximately $15.6M in Series A funding from investors including CAS Star, Legend Star, CTC Capital, Cybernaut Venture Capital, and Vertex Ventures China.
Picocom firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Picocom
- Legal name
- 比科奇微电子（杭州）有限公司
- Website
- https://picocom.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Picocom is a fabless semiconductor company founded in 2019 that designs 5G NR/LTE small cell baseband SoCs (PC802, PC805) and carrier-grade PHY software for Open RAN equipment manufacturers, mobile network operators, and system integrators globally, with operations in Hangzhou and Bristol.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Picocom industry classification
Industry- Product category
- 5G Baseband Semiconductors for Open RAN Small Cells
- NAICS
- Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (33422)
- SIC
- Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663)
- akta.pro primary industry
- System-on-Chip (SoC) Platforms (Mobile/Consumer/Embedded) (HDAHAJAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- vRAN & Open RAN Platforms (CU/DU, RIC, xApps/rApps) (HDAIAIAA)
Keywords
Where Picocom is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Picocom business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Baseband SoC Chip Sales: Picocom generates revenue primarily from selling its PC802 and PC805 system-on-chip products to 5G small cell equipment manufacturers. These are one-time chip sales with associated licensing of accompanying physical layer software.
- Carrier-Grade Software Products: Picocom markets telecommunications-grade software products for 4G and 5G small cell infrastructure. Software licensing and support services accompany the hardware sales.
- Evaluation and Development Platforms: Picocom sells development boards including PC802SCB and PC805RDB for customer evaluation and product development. ORANIC acceleration cards are sold for O-DU deployment.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise semiconductor pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Picocom product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Picocom designs and markets Open RAN standard-compliant baseband system-on-chips (PC802 and PC805) and carrier-grade PHY software for 4G and 5G small cell infrastructure as well as non-terrestrial networks via satellite. Its SoCs and accompanying PHY software, acceleration cards and development boards are sold to small cell equipment manufacturers, mobile network operators, and system integrators to enable integrated, distributed, and Open RAN small cell deployments.
Product overview
Picocom offers a comprehensive 5G small cell semiconductor and software portfolio centered on two flagship SoCs: the PC802 baseband PHY SoC (for distributed/integrated DU and O-RU) and the PC805 radio unit SoC (for O-RU/RRH). The PC802, delivered with carrier-grade 5G NR and LTE PHY software, processes the physical layer for small cells and connects via O-RAN eCPRI fronthaul or JESD204B to radio units. The complementary PC805 handles radio unit digital front-end functions with industry-leading 25Gbps fronthaul interfaces. Supporting products include the ORANIC PCIe acceleration card (in-line PHY/NIC for O-DU servers), PC802SCB development board, and PC805RDB demonstration board. The portfolio enables customers to build complete small cell systems spanning integrated small cells (Split 0), distributed DU/RU architectures (Split 7.2), and dual-mode 4G+5G deployments, all compliant with Open RAN and 3GPP standards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PC802 5G NR/LTE PHY SoC High-performance, low-power programmable baseband SoC for 5G NR/LTE small cells, supporting distributed and integrated RAN architectures, SCF FAPI interface, O-RAN eCPRI fronthaul, JESD204B RF interface, CEVA-XC12 DSP, and dual-mode 4G+5G operation with up to two 4T4R 100MHz cells or single 8T8R configuration. Sold to 5G small cell equipment manufacturers.
- PC805 5G Small Cell RU SoC Purpose-designed PHY SoC for 5G NR/LTE small cell O-RU architectures meeting Open RAN specifications. Features 25Gbps eCPRI/CPRI fronthaul, integrated RISC-V management processor, digital pre-distortion, crest factor reduction and FFT/iFFT, supporting Split 7.2x O-RAN and Split 8 RRH configurations. Sold to 5G small cell equipment manufacturers.
- ORANIC Open RAN In-line PHY/NIC PCIe Card
Quantifiable outcome
- Dual 5G 4T4R cells achieve stable peak rate: DL 1.5Gbps+, UL 220Mbps+, chip power under 8W
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Picocom
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Picocom technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature4 records
Picocom partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- China Mobile Research Institute (中国移动研究院)coreJoint development of China's first domestically-produced 4G+5G dual-mode vDU accelerator card using Picocom PC802. This represents complete domestic supply chain from core algorithms to physical layer software and key components.
- Airui Wireless (成都爱瑞无线科技有限公司)coreJointly developed domestic vDU accelerator card with China Mobile Research Institute and Picocom. Airui invested significant resources to leverage PC802 chip's potential and create differentiated products for satellite communications, low-altitude economy, and rail transit.
- Software Radio Systems (SRS)coreFull integration of srsRAN Enterprise 5G with Picocom PC802 ORANIC inline PHY/NIC for O-DU and PC802SCB-based Split 7.2 Radio Unit (O-RU). SRS provides complete L2/L3 protocol stack that integrates with Picocom's L1 physical layer via SCF FAPI interface.
- ContelamajorContela selected PC802 system-on-chip and 5G NR software for their 5G Open RAN O-DU and O-RU products. Picocom provides core technology enabling Contela to offer advanced wireless network products.
- iCanamajorStrategic partnership to jointly develop 5G NR FR1 small cell RF unit reference platform. Combines Picocom's digital pre-distortion technology with iCana's power amplifiers (4W, 8W, 20W using GaAs and GaN) for efficient, compact O-RU solutions.
- Accton (智邦科技)coreODM partnership where Accton develops 5G Open RAN O-RU using PC802 PHY SoC and software, and O-DU based on ORANIC acceleration card. Provides comprehensive solutions for Open RAN ecosystem.
- ShiJu Networks (世炬网络)majorIntegration of Picocom PC802 with ShiJu's 5G protocol stack via FAPI interface. Complete 5G small cell solution achieved commercial terminal access and end-to-end data link connectivity.
- RadisyscoreJoint verification of PC802 5G Open RAN SoC achieving system integration milestone. Radisys Connect RAN 5G software integrates with Picocom PC802 via SCF FAPI interface for O-RAN split 7.2 architecture.
- CEVAcorePicocom licensed CEVA-XC12 DSP for deployment in distributed unit baseband offload SoC. DSP provides flexibility and high performance for 5G baseband processing in sub-6GHz and mmWave networks with low power consumption.
- Small Cell Forum (SCF)corePicocom is an active SCF member and board director, leading work items and contributing to FAPI interface specifications, nFAPI, and 5G functional API suite updates that drive unified 5G Open RAN.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Picocom competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Marvell Technology: Marvell designs OCTEON baseband processors and 5G base station silicon used by major OEMs. It is the most direct head-to-head competitor to Picocom's PC802 in the Open RAN small cell baseband SoC category.
- EdgeQ: EdgeQ is a venture-backed fabless semiconductor company building highly integrated 4G/5G baseband SoCs targeting Open RAN small cells, directly competing with Picocom's PC802 and PC805 product line.
- Renesas Electronics: Renesas offers small cell SoC platforms (e.g., Airfastor family) for LTE/5G small cells used by tier-1 OEMs. It competes with Picocom for the same small cell baseband socket with a broader MCU/RF portfolio.
- NXP Semiconductors: NXP supplies Layerscape wireless infrastructure processors and RF power for 4G/5G base stations including small cells. It is a peer in wireless infrastructure silicon with overlapping OEM customers.
Broad incumbents
- Qualcomm: Qualcomm's FSM platform and broader RAN portfolio include small cell baseband solutions sold to OEMs globally. As a broad incumbent, it competes at the small cell SoC layer while serving many adjacent wireless markets.
- Intel: Intel's FlexRAN reference design and Xeon Scalable processors power many virtualized RAN and Open RAN deployments. Picocom's ORANIC card explicitly offloads L1 from Intel x86 servers, positioning Intel as both collaborator and competitive reference.
- AMD (Xilinx): AMD/Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC and Adaptive SoC families are widely used in 5G small cell radio units and Open RAN O-RU designs, competing with Picocom's PC805 RU SoC for the same fronthaul/RF slot.
Others
- Analog Devices: Analog Devices supplies RF transceivers such as the ADRV9029 that integrate directly with Picocom's PC802SCB development board. It is a complementary silicon partner and adjacent RF semiconductor player in the small cell stack.
- Microchip Technology: Microchip supplies microcontrollers, FPGAs, and connectivity ICs used in telecommunications equipment. It is adjacent infrastructure silicon rather than a direct baseband SoC rival, but its embedded platform offerings intersect with Picocom's end customers.
Emerging players
- Astera Labs: Astera Labs builds connectivity and accelerator semiconductors for cloud and networking infrastructure. It is an emerging player in adjacent data-plane silicon rather than a direct baseband competitor, but competes for similar semiconductor talent and infrastructure customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Picocom social profiles
Digital presencePicocom financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Picocom leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Picocom subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Picocom funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Picocom 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 Picocom
What does Picocom do?
Picocom designs and markets Open RAN standard-compliant baseband system-on-chips (PC802 and PC805) and carrier-grade PHY software for 4G and 5G small cell infrastructure as well as non-terrestrial networks via satellite. Its SoCs and accompanying PHY software, acceleration cards and development boards are sold to small cell equipment manufacturers, mobile network operators, and system integrators to enable integrated, distributed, and Open RAN small cell deployments.
Is Picocom a public or private company?
Picocom is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Picocom founded?
Picocom was founded in 2019. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Picocom based?
Picocom is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Picocom make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Baseband SoC Chip Sales are the primary driver. The others are carrier-Grade Software Products and evaluation and Development Platforms.
Who are Picocom's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Marvell Technology, EdgeQ, Renesas Electronics and NXP Semiconductors. Broad incumbents are Qualcomm, Intel and AMD (Xilinx). Others are Analog Devices and Microchip Technology. Astera Labs is listed as an emerging player.
Does Picocom have an API?
No public API is recorded for Picocom.
What industry is Picocom in?
Picocom's product category is 5G Baseband Semiconductors for Open RAN Small Cells. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAJAC, System-on-Chip (SoC) Platforms (Mobile/Consumer/Embedded), with a secondary code of HDAIAIAA, vRAN & Open RAN Platforms (CU/DU, RIC, xApps/rApps). Its NAICS code is 33422 and its SIC code is 3663.