Saphyrion

What Saphyrion does

Saphyrion sagl is a privately held Swiss research and development company founded in 2009 and headquartered in Bioggio, Switzerland, specializing in radiation-hardened (rad-hard) integrated circuits and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology for space applications. The company's product portfolio spans rad-hard ASICs (SY1007A, SY1017A, SY1009, SY1019, SY2001, and the recently introduced SY2301 15 GHz PLL), GNSS boards and modules (RD1027, SM1027U), GNSS instruments (GDARS record and playback system, GDAS-2D and GDAS-2S data loggers), and complete dual-frequency GNSS receiver systems (AGMS-K5). Saphyrion designs across multiple semiconductor processes (Si, SiGe, SOI, GaAs, GaN) and serves as a European non-ITAR source of rad-hard components, a positioning reinforced by ESA rad-hardness qualification of the SY2301, which previously was only available from US manufacturers.

Saphyrion's customers are concentrated in the European space and aerospace sector, including agencies such as the European Space Agency (ESA), large space primes such as Thales Alenia Space Italy, and GNSS receiver developers requiring high-fidelity test instrumentation. The company generates revenue through four streams: (1) hardware product sales of space-qualified ASICs, GNSS boards and modules, and complete systems; (2) custom ASIC design services for ground and space applications; (3) high-level space engineering consultancy covering radiation test design, conduction, and quality control at EU facilities; and (4) supply chain management services supporting fabrication, packaging, and testing partner selection for space electronics. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

The company's go-to-market is primarily event-driven, with active participation in industry conferences such as the International Navigation Conference, European Navigation Conference, AMICSA, India Space Expo, and Russian World Space Week, complemented by direct sales and a small social media presence on Facebook and LinkedIn. Saphyrion is structured as an "sagl" (Swiss limited liability company), has 1-10 employees, and operates without disclosed external venture capital or institutional funding. Its strategic posture emphasizes European non-dependence in space-grade semiconductors and integration into EU-funded programs, as evidenced by selection for the Horizon Europe GAUSSIAN project in June 2024.

Name

Saphyrion

Legal name

Saphyrion sagl

Website

https://saphyrion.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Saphyrion sagl is a Swiss privately held R&D company (1-10 employees) that designs radiation-hardened ASICs, GNSS boards, modules, and instruments for space and aerospace customers including ESA, Thales Alenia Space, and GNSS receiver developers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Space-grade Semiconductors & GNSS Equipment

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom & Application-Specific ASIC Design Services (HDAHABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) for Space Systems (IMABACAG), Military Aerospace Ground Support Equipment (GSE) & Test Systems (IMABAMAL)

Keywords

• Radiation-hardened ASICs
• Space-grade semiconductors
• GNSS receiver systems
• RF mixed signal design
• Satellite navigation instruments

Headquarters

HQ city

Bioggio

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Product Sales: Sale of space-qualified ASICs, GNSS boards, modules, and complete systems. Products include SY1007A/SY1017A chipsets, RD1027 and SM1027U GNSS modules, GDARS instruments, and AGMS-K5 complete systems.
2. ASIC Design Services: Custom ASIC design services for ground and space applications using various semiconductor processes (Si, SiGe, SOI, GaAs, GaN) according to client needs.
3. Space Engineering Consultancy: High-level consultancy services spanning a wide range of disciplines related to space engineering, including radiation test design, conduction, and quality control of critical electronic components.
4. Supply Chain Management Services: Support in selecting best partners for fabrication, packaging and testing of space electronic units.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Saphyrion designs, develops, and manufactures radiation-hardened (rad-hard) ASICs for space applications and produces GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) boards, modules, instruments, and complete dual-frequency receiver systems. Its portfolio includes the SY-series rad-hard ASICs (e.g., SY1007A, SY1017A, SY1009, SY1019, SY2001, SY2301), GNSS boards/modules (RD1027, SM1027U), GNSS instruments (GDARS, GDAS-2D, GDAS-2S), and complete systems (AGMS-K5). The company also offers ASIC design services, space-qualified subsystem development, supply chain management, and space-qualification technical consultancy.

Product overview

Saphyrion offers a portfolio of radiation-hardened ASICs for space applications alongside GNSS boards, modules, instruments, and complete systems, complemented by ASIC design services and subsystems development. The ASIC product line includes the SY1007A, SY1017A, SY1009, SY1019, SY2001, and upcoming SY2301 (a 15 GHz PLL), with daisy chain configurations available. The GNSS portfolio spans from individual boards (RD1027) and modules (SM1027U) to instruments (GDARS record/playback system, GDAS-2D, GDAS-2S data loggers) and complete receiver systems (AGMS-K5). The company also provides design services for ASIC development using various semiconductor processes (Si, SiGe, SOI, GaAs, GaN), subsystems development, supply chain management, and space qualification consultancy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SY1007A Radiation-hardened ASIC for space applications designed to withstand damage from energetic particles, gamma and cosmic rays; part of the upgraded chipset available since June 2024.
• SY1017A Radiation-hardened ASIC for space applications, part of the upgraded chipset available since June 2024.
• SY1009 Radiation-hardened ASIC for space applications.
• SY1019 Radiation-hardened ASIC for space applications.
• SY2001 Radiation-hardened ASIC for space applications.
• SY2301 Low phase-noise 15 GHz PLL meeting ESA rad-hardness standards; core element in GNSS, telecommunication, and scientific payloads, previously only available from US manufacturers.
• RD1027 GNSS board derived from the company's experience in the development of space-borne GNSS applications.
• SM1027U GNSS module derived from the company's experience in the development of space-borne GNSS applications.
• GDARS Advanced GNSS RF-bands record and playback instrument combining highest fidelity with first class flexibility and performances; offers high quantization depth for wideband GNSS signals and is useful for studying in-band interference.
• GDAS-2D GNSS data logger allowing simultaneous downconversion and digitization of up to four 50 MHz channels; optimized for developers of GNSS systems exploiting wideband signals (GALILEO E5a, GPS L5).
• GDAS-2S GNSS instrument for logging GNSS receivers developers.
• AGMS-K5 Low-cost dual frequency GNSS receiver system pioneering technology supporting the diffusion of GNSS applications.
• ASIC Design Services Custom rad-hard and terrestrial ASIC design service with emphasis on RF/mixed signal devices, producible by different processes (Si, SiGe, SOI, GaAs, GaN) according to client needs, for ground and space applications.
• Subsystems Services Design and development of complex electronic boards, also based on rad-hard components and qualified for space, for ground and space applications.
• Supply Chain Management Support in selecting best partners for fabrication, packaging, and testing of space electronic units.
• Space Qualifications and Technical Consultancy High-level consultancy services spanning space engineering disciplines, with specific know-how in design, conduction, and quality control of radiation tests on critical electronic components at EU facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Unprecedented fidelity in GNSS signal reproduction with four 50MHz channels
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2024Saphyrion was selected by the EU Commission to participate in the Horizon Europe project GAUSSIAN, which aims to demonstrate authenticated Galileo E1 signals combined with integrated GNSS/INS platforms for greater robustness against spoofing and better PNT data continuity. SAPHYRION chips are a key element enabling exploitation of GALILEO differentiators in a world-first solution.
• European Space Agency (ESA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAPHYRION has successfully started production of SY2301, a low phase-noise 15 GHz PLL meeting ESA rad-hardness standards. This component is a core element in GNSS, telecommunication and scientific payloads. The SY2301 was previously only available from US manufacturers, representing EU non-dependence in rad-hard ICs.
• Swiss Space Office/ Swiss Space Technology RepresentationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAPHYRION participated in India Space Expo 2016 as one of the three companies selected to represent Swiss space technology at the Bangalore event.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• STMicroelectronics: ST operates a Space rad-hard ASIC program for European programs and is the dominant European semiconductor incumbent; overlapping on rad-hard processes (SiGe, SOI, GaN) and ESA-qualified product lines.
• Microchip Technology (formerly Atmel): Through legacy Atmel/Microsemi, Microchip supplies rad-hard microcontrollers, ASICs, and FPGAs directly competing in space-grade component sockets alongside Saphyrion's SY-series.
• Xilinx (AMD): Xilinx/AMD's space-grade FPGAs (rad-hard and RT) compete for design slots in ESA and defense payloads where rad-hard ASICs are also considered.
• Renesas Electronics (formerly Intersil): Renesas (post-Intersil acquisition) supplies rad-hard ICs for satellites and GNSS payloads — directly comparable on rad-hard mixed-signal and PLL capability tied to SY2301.
• Honeywell Aerospace: Honeywell produces rad-hard integrated circuits and space-qualified avionics/PY components, competing in similar GNSS-on-chip and space electronics sockets.

Direct peers

• Septentrio: Septentrio builds high-precision multi-frequency GNSS receivers for space, aerospace, and defense — overlapping on RD1027/SM1027U-style GNSS receiver boards and reference customers like ESA.
• Spirent Communications: Spirent's GNSS record & playback / simulation test systems (GSS) compete directly with GDARS and GDAS-2D/2S in the space GNSS development tooling market.
• CAES (Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions / now part of CAES division): CAES supplies radiation-hardened ASICs and space-grade semiconductors to aerospace and defense primes — a direct head-to-head competitor on SY-series rad-hard chips targeting European payloads.
• U-blox: u-blox provides dual-frequency GNSS chips, modules, and boards used in professional and industrial applications — comparable in dual-frequency receiver technology and module form factor.
• Teledyne e2v (Teledyne Space): Teledyne e2v (now Teledyne Space Imaging & Semiconductors) manufactures radiation-hardened space-grade semiconductors and image sensors sold into ESA and prime contractors — comparable in process portfolio and customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/saphyrion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saphyrion-sagl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Saphyrion