BeagleBoard
BeagleBoard.org Foundation is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that designs and distributes open-source single-board computers spanning ARM, RISC-V, and FPGA architectures for makers, educators, and professional engineers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersRichardson, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What BeagleBoard does
BeagleBoard.org Foundation is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2008 by Jason Kridner and collaborators to promote open-source hardware and software in embedded computing. The foundation designs, distributes, and supports a portfolio of open-hardware single-board computers (SBCs) spanning multiple processor architectures — ARM (BeagleBone Black, BeagleBone AI, BeagleBone AI-64, PocketBeagle, PocketBeagle 2, BeaglePlay, BeagleY-AI), RISC-V (BeagleV-Ahead on the T-Head TH1520), and FPGA (BeagleV-Fire on the Microchip PolarFire SoC) — alongside microcontroller-class boards (BeagleConnect Freedom, BeagleConnect Zepto) and a wearable platform (BeagleBadge). All designs are published as open hardware under CC BY-SA 4.0, run Linux and/or the Zephyr RTOS, and are supported by a proprietary-feeling Device Tree Overlay and cape ecosystem plus Qwiic, Grove, mikroBUS, and ClickID connectors for solder-free expansion.
The foundation's go-to-market is community-led rather than sales-led. It operates forums, Discord, IRC, GitHub/OpenBeagle.org, a YouTube channel with the BeagleCast podcast, and has been a Google Summer of Code mentoring organization since 2010. Products reach customers through distributors DigiKey and SeeedStudio, alongside direct sales via beagleboard.org/merch, and revenue is supplemented by donations (Amazon Smile, Patreon, GitHub Sponsors) and corporate sponsorships from silicon partners such as Texas Instruments and Microchip. The customer base is horizontal: makers, hobbyists, STEM educators and students, and professional engineers in industrial automation, robotics, edge AI, building automation, and increasingly aerospace (e.g., OreSat CubeSat, Space Grade Linux initiative). Pricing spans $1 (BeagleConnect Zepto) to roughly $150 (BeagleV-Fire, BeagleV-Ahead), with the BeagleBadge wearable at a $99 pre-order price point.
BeagleBoard firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BeagleBoard
- Legal name
- BeagleBoard.org Foundation
- Website
- https://beagleboard.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- BeagleBoard.org Foundation is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that designs and distributes open-source single-board computers spanning ARM, RISC-V, and FPGA architectures for makers, educators, and professional engineers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BeagleBoard industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Single-Board Computers
- NAICS
- Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411)
- SIC
- Printed Circuit Boards (3672)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Motherboards & Chipset Platforms (HDACAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- PCB, Prototyping Boards & Etching Supplies Retail (CRACAKAF), Embedded Software & Firmware Tools (Compilers, Debug, RTOS tooling) (HDAHAFAE)
Keywords
Where BeagleBoard is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Richardson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
BeagleBoard business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- Hardware product sales: Sale of open-source single-board computers including BeagleBone, BeaglePlay, BeagleV, PocketBeagle, and accessory boards. Revenue generated from distributor sales through SeeedStudio, DigiKey, and direct channels.
- Merchandise sales: Sale of BeagleBoard branded merchandise through merch.beagleboard.org
- Non-profit donations and sponsorships: The BeagleBoard.org Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that receives donations through Amazon Smile, Patreon, and GitHub Sponsors. Also receives sponsorships from technology companies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | BeagleBadge wearable platform |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | BeagleV-Fire RISC-V FPGA board |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | BeagleV Ahead RISC-V board |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | BeagleConnect Zepto ultra-low-cost board |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
BeagleBoard product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BeagleBoard.org Foundation designs, manufactures, and distributes a portfolio of open-source hardware single-board computers (SBCs) and addon capes for makers, educators, and professional engineers. The product line spans ARM-based boards (BeagleBone AI-64, BeagleY-AI, BeaglePlay, PocketBeagle 2), RISC-V/FPGA boards (BeagleV-Ahead, BeagleV-Fire), a Zephyr-based microcontroller (BeagleConnect Freedom), and a wearable platform (BeagleBadge), all running Linux or Zephyr RTOS with fully open hardware designs.
Product overview
BeagleBoard.org Foundation develops and sells a portfolio of open-source hardware single-board computers (SBCs) designed for makers, educators, and professionals. The product line centers on the BeagleBone family (BeagleBone AI-64, BeagleBone AI, BeagleBone Black, BeagleBone Blue), the compact PocketBeagle line (PocketBeagle, PocketBeagle 2), the AI-focused BeagleY-AI, the connectivity-focused BeaglePlay, and the RISC-V based boards (BeagleV-Ahead, BeagleV-Fire). Additionally, BeagleConnect Freedom provides a Zephyr-based microcontroller solution, and BeagleBadge offers a wearable innovation platform. The ecosystem is extended through addon capes (expansion boards) including Servo, Fan, Robotics, Relay, Proto, Power, Load, Motor, and Comms capes, plus educational kits like Grove Kit and TechLab Cape. All products run Linux or Zephyr RTOS and feature open hardware designs with documentation available for modification from source.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BeagleBone: Line of single-board Linux computers including BeagleBone Black, BeagleBone AI, and BeagleBone AI-64, featuring PRU microcontrollers and extensive expandability through cape add-ons.
- BeaglePlay
- BeagleV
- PocketBeagle
- BeagleY-AI
- BeagleConnect
- BeagleBadge
Products and services
- BeagleBone AI-64 A complete 64-bit AI and Machine Learning system with the convenience and expandability of the BeagleBone platform, featuring an 8 TOPS AI engine for makers, educators, and professionals building AI/ML applications.
- BeagleY-AI An industry standard form-factor 64-bit ARM computer with a 4 TOPS AI engine and integrated ARM Cortex-R5 for low-latency I/O tasks; Pi 5 compatible, optimized for reliability, openness, AI and real-time applications.
- BeaglePlay A 64-bit ARM computer designed to simplify physical world interactions to the connected world, featuring a wide selection of sensor and prototyping system connections including mikroBUS and Grove headers.
- PocketBeagle 2 A tiny board with quad A53 cores, M4, PRUs and lots of I/O; higher performance than original PocketBeagle with pre-soldered headers, UART debug port, high-speed USB-C port, 512MB RAM, and LiPo battery charger.
- BeagleV-Fire A quad-core RISC-V and FPGA SBC with BeagleBone cape headers, PCIe over M.2 and SYZYGY high-speed connector, powered by Microchip PolarFire SoC FPGA.
- BeagleV-Ahead High-performance quad-core RISC-V SBC with neural network and media accelerators, featuring T-Head TH1520 SoC, 4GB LPDDR4, 16GB eMMC, BeagleBone cape headers, mikroBUS shuttle connector, 2x CSI and DSI expansion.
- BeagleConnect Freedom A Zephyr-based wireless-enabled microcontroller board based on TI Arm Cortex-M4 CC1352P7, with MCUboot bootloader support for low-level microcontroller-class development.
- BeagleBadge A wearable and low-power computing innovation platform for rapid prototyping in health, environmental monitoring, and human-machine interfaces. Features a 4.2-inch ePaper display, Wi-Fi 6, BLE 5.4, LoRa, accelerometer, gyroscope, temperature/humidity sensors, powered by Texas Instruments AM62L32 processor; pre-order price $99.
- BeagleBone AI An SBC filling the gap between small SBCs and more powerful industrial computers, based on the AM5729, designed to make it easy to explore how artificial intelligence can be used in everyday life.
- BeagleBone Black A 1GHz Single-Board Linux Computer based on ARM Cortex-A8 with PRU microcontrollers, Ethernet and HDMI; credit-card sized with over a decade of support, software and materials.
- BeagleBone Blue An all-in-one Linux-based robotics computer with BeagleBone Black compatibility, featuring integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IMU/barometer, power regulation, H-Bridges, and motor connectors.
- PocketBeagle An ultra-tiny-yet-complete open-source USB-key-fob computer with the same processor as BeagleBone Black at one third the size, supporting hundreds of example projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- Move from concept to working prototype in hours rather than days
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use BeagleBoard
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
BeagleBoard technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability5 records
Feature6 records
BeagleBoard partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- DigiKeymajorDigiKey distributes BeagleBoard products and demonstrates rapid prototyping capabilities at embedded world trade shows, showcasing BeagleBoard boards paired with other ecosystem products like Red Pitaya and Arduino platforms.
- T-Head (Alibaba)coreT-Head provides the TH1520 quad-core RISC-V SoC for BeagleV-Ahead. T-Head recently submitted Device Tree updates enabling HDMI display support for the board in Linux 7.1 mainline kernel.
- Texas InstrumentscoreTexas Instruments provides processors for BeagleBoard products including AM62L32 for BeagleBadge and MSPM0L1117 for BeagleConnect Zepto. BeagleBoard.org Foundation collaborates with TI on PRU Academy educational content available on TI.com.
- SeeedStudiomajorSeeedStudio collaborated on BeagleBadge development and serves as a manufacturing partner/distributor for BeagleBoard products including BeagleV product line.
- Zephyr Project (Linux Foundation)coreBeagleBoard.org joined the Zephyr Project as an Associate Member, formalizing a collaboration for real-time embedded operating system support. Zephyr RTOS supports over 900 boards and is used across BeagleBoard platforms for low-level, microcontroller-class development.
- Microchip TechnologycoreMicrochip provides PolarFire SoC FPGA for BeagleV-Fire and supports the platform with SmartHLS compiler for FPGA acceleration. BeagleV-Fire is priced around $150 and is a key product in the RISC-V ecosystem.
- BootlinminorBootlin offers embedded Linux training courses available on BeaglePlay platform, providing educational materials for developers learning embedded Linux development.
- Google Summer of CodecoreBeagleBoard.org has been a mentoring organization for Google Summer of Code since 2010, engaging student developers in open source embedded computing projects.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
BeagleBoard competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Arduino: Arduino is a direct peer in open-source hardware for makers, educators, and embedded developers. Its microcontroller and SBC-like products (e.g., Arduino GIGA) overlap with BeagleBoard's BeagleConnect Freedom and PocketBeagle lines in education and prototyping use cases, sharing a community-led GTM motion.
- FriendlyElec (NanoPi): FriendlyElec produces NanoPi, Core3566, and other ARM/RISC-V SBCs that compete with BeagleBoard's PocketBeagle, BeaglePlay, and BeagleV lines for embedded Linux developers and hobbyists, with similar pricing and form factor targeting.
- Hardkernel (ODROID): Hardkernel produces ODROID single-board computers targeting advanced makers and developers, with comparable ARM-based SBC offerings and similar focus on technical capabilities and developer-friendly features. Direct competition for professional engineer and hobbyist segments.
- Pine64: Pine64 produces open-source single-board computers (Pinebook, PinePhone, RockPro64) targeting similar developer and maker segments as BeagleBoard. Both organizations prioritize open hardware designs and community-driven development, with overlapping ARM and RISC-V SBC product lines.
- Banana Pi: Banana Pi (Shenzhen SINOVOIP) produces a range of open-source SBCs and developer boards directly competing with BeagleBoard's BeagleBone and PocketBeagle lines. Both target embedded Linux developers and educational use cases.
- Raspberry Pi Foundation: Raspberry Pi Foundation is the most direct peer: also a non-profit foundation producing open-source single-board computers targeting makers, educators, and professionals. Its Raspberry Pi SBC family competes head-to-head with BeagleBone, PocketBeagle, and BeagleY-AI in the same maker and education channels, with BeagleY-AI explicitly targeting Pi 5 compatibility.
- Orange Pi: Orange Pi (Shenzhen Xunlong Software) produces low-cost ARM and RISC-V single-board computers in similar form factors to BeagleBone, PocketBeagle, and BeagleY-AI. Competes directly on price point and developer/hobbyist use cases in global maker channels.
Broad incumbents
- Adafruit: Adafruit is a broader incumbent in the maker/electronics ecosystem, designing and selling its own open-source development boards, sensors, and components that compete with BeagleBoard's addon capes and accessories. Shares the maker/DIY educator customer base and community-led content strategy.
- NVIDIA (Jetson): NVIDIA Jetson is a broad incumbent in AI-focused edge computing platforms (Jetson Nano, Orin Nano), competing with BeagleY-AI and BeagleBone AI-64 in edge AI and robotics applications. Jetson's significantly higher AI performance targets professional/commercial deployments, while BeagleBoard positions on openness and price.
- SparkFun Electronics: SparkFun is a broad incumbent producing open-source electronics and development boards for makers and educators, competing in similar channels with addon boards and educational kits that overlap with BeagleBoard's cape ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BeagleBoard social profiles
Digital presenceBeagleBoard financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BeagleBoard leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
BeagleBoard funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BeagleBoard 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 BeagleBoard
What does BeagleBoard do?
BeagleBoard.org Foundation designs, manufactures, and distributes a portfolio of open-source hardware single-board computers (SBCs) and addon capes for makers, educators, and professional engineers. The product line spans ARM-based boards (BeagleBone AI-64, BeagleY-AI, BeaglePlay, PocketBeagle 2), RISC-V/FPGA boards (BeagleV-Ahead, BeagleV-Fire), a Zephyr-based microcontroller (BeagleConnect Freedom), and a wearable platform (BeagleBadge), all running Linux or Zephyr RTOS with fully open hardware designs.
Is BeagleBoard a public or private company?
BeagleBoard is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was BeagleBoard founded?
BeagleBoard was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is BeagleBoard based?
BeagleBoard is headquartered in Richardson, United States, in the North America region.
How does BeagleBoard make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware product sales are the primary driver. The others are merchandise sales and non-profit donations and sponsorships.
Who are BeagleBoard's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Arduino, FriendlyElec (NanoPi), Hardkernel (ODROID), Pine64, Banana Pi, Raspberry Pi Foundation and Orange Pi. Broad incumbents are Adafruit, NVIDIA (Jetson) and SparkFun Electronics.
Does BeagleBoard have an API?
No public API is recorded for BeagleBoard.
What industry is BeagleBoard in?
BeagleBoard's product category is Single-Board Computers. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDACAGAB, Motherboards & Chipset Platforms, with a secondary code of CRACAKAF, PCB, Prototyping Boards & Etching Supplies Retail. Its NAICS code is 33411 and its SIC code is 3672.