ASTC

What ASTC does

ASTC (Australian Semiconductor Technology Company Pty Ltd), founded in 2006 and headquartered in Adelaide, Australia, is a privately held semiconductor and systems design services firm with global operations across Australia, the United States (Austin, Detroit), Japan (Tokyo/Osaka), and Europe (France, Germany, Netherlands). The company serves the embedded electronics supply chain — from semiconductor IP vendors and fabless chip companies through to OEMs and systems integrators — across automotive, mobile/multimedia, IoT/sensors, industrial, and communications verticals, with particular depth in safety-critical automotive applications such as airbag sensing, tire pressure monitoring, engine control, and active suspension.

ASTC's technology core is VLAB, an Electronic System Level (ESL) virtual prototyping platform delivered through its wholly-owned subsidiary VLAB Works, which enables pre-silicon embedded software development and hardware/software co-simulation across ARM, CEVA, Freescale/NXP, Renesas, TI, and Tensilica processor architectures. Complementing the platform is a proprietary semiconductor IP catalogue including RISC-V processor cores (RV32EC_P2, RV32IC_P5, plus Timer and PLIC), a MIPI-compliant I3C slave interface, a configurable USB Type-C Power Delivery 3.0 solution, and the Intelligent Sensor and Power Management (ISP) platform bundling digital and analog IP for IoT/sensor ASICs. The company also delivers an Analog/Mixed-Signal Verification Environment (AVE) for mixed-signal SoC verification, citing outcomes such as 50+ design bugs found and first-pass silicon success on safety-critical programs.

ASTC generates revenue through three streams: professional design services (the largest, spanning IC engineering, analog/mixed signal, embedded software, system-level design, and USB-C/PD integration); semiconductor IP licensing (RISC-V, I3C, USB-C PD, analog blocks, ISP components); and ESL software tools and support via VLAB Works on a subscription/recurring basis. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales through regional offices, complemented by industry event participation (DAC, Automotive Testing Expo, Freescale Technology Forum, SystemC Users Group Japan) and content marketing via a YouTube technical channel and LinkedIn presence. Pricing is custom and quote-based with no public rate cards, consistent with a B2B professional services and licensing model. The company is led by CEO Jay Yantchev and operates without disclosed external institutional investors.

Name

ASTC

Legal name

Australian Semiconductor Technology Company Pty Ltd

Website

https://astc-design.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ASTC is a privately held semiconductor and systems design services firm founded in 2006, providing ESL virtual prototyping (VLAB), semiconductor IP licensing (RISC-V, USB-C/PD, I3C), and engineering services to global automotive, mobile, IoT, and semiconductor customers across Australia, the US, Japan, and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Semiconductor Design Services

NAICS

Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (33441), Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (3344)

SIC

Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674), Electronic Components, Nec (3679), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Design Services & ASIC/SoC Implementation (EDA-Adjacent) (HDAHAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Custom & Application-Specific ASIC Design Services (HDAHABAJ), Embedded Software & Firmware Tools (Compilers, Debug, RTOS tooling) (HDAHAFAE)

Keywords

• Semiconductor design services
• Embedded software development
• ESL virtual prototyping
• RISC-V processor IP
• Analog mixed signal design

Headquarters

HQ city

Adelaide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Design Services and Consulting: Professional engineering services spanning system-level development, embedded software, analog/mixed signal, verification and validation, and fabrication support. Services provided across IP, semiconductors, FPGAs, and PCB/systems levels.
2. IP Licensing: Licensing of semiconductor IP blocks including RISC-V cores, I3C slave interfaces, USB-C/PD solutions, analog IP, and IoT platform components. Delivered as synthesizable Verilog RTL with documentation and reference designs.
3. ESL Tools and Virtual Platform Software: VLAB Works subsidiary delivers virtual prototyping tools and software for embedded system developers. Revenue from software tools licenses and support services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ASTC delivers semiconductor and embedded systems design services, licensing of semiconductor IP (RISC-V cores, USB-C/PD, I3C, analog IP), and ESL virtual prototyping software through its VLAB platform. The company serves the global embedded electronics supply chain across automotive, mobile/multimedia, IoT, wireless, and industrial electronics, providing integrated circuit design, analog/mixed-signal design, embedded software, and system-level design services backed by proprietary virtual prototyping tooling.

Product overview

ASTC (Australian Semiconductor Technology Company) is a semiconductor and systems design services company offering a combination of platforms, IP blocks, and engineering services. The core platforms are VLAB (ESL virtual prototyping for embedded software/system development) and the Intelligent Sensor and Power Management Platform (ISP, for IoT and sensor ASIC development). Key IP products include RISC-V processor cores (RV32EC_P2, RV32IC_P5), USB-C Power Delivery IP Solution, I3C Slave Interface IP, and various analog/mixed-signal IP blocks (PLL, ADC, LDO, temperature sensor, RF energy harvester, oscillators, PGA). Services span IC Engineering, Analog/Mixed Signal design, Embedded Software Development, System Level Design/ESL, and USB-C/PD product development. VLAB serves as the common virtual prototyping environment enabling pre-silicon software development across all service offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VLAB Works: Software products subsidiary of ASTC delivering innovative ESL and virtual prototyping solutions for embedded software and system developers

Products and services

• VLAB ESL Virtual Prototyping Platform Electronic System Level (ESL) virtual prototyping platform enabling pre-silicon embedded software development, hardware/software co-simulation, and system verification for ARM, CEVA, Freescale, Renesas, Tensilica, TI and other processor architectures. Sold to embedded system and semiconductor design teams.
• RISC-V Processor IP Cores Open instruction set RISC-V processor cores including RV32EC_P2 (low-power, 2-stage pipeline) and RV32IC_P5 (medium-scale, 5-stage pipeline with cache support) with AHB-Lite and APB bus interfaces for ASIC and SoC integration. Targeted at semiconductor and ASIC design teams.
• USB-C Power Delivery IP Solution Self-contained configurable multi-port USB Type-C Power Delivery design library compliant with USB PD Specification revision 3.0 and USB Type-C Cable and Connector Specification revision 1.3, delivering AFE, digital, and firmware IP. Targeted at semiconductor companies and OEMs developing USB-C/PD-enabled products.
• I3C Slave Interface IP MIPI-compliant I3C slave interface IP supporting I3C SDR up to 12.5 Mbps and I2C standard/fast/fast-mode plus/high-speed modes with in-band interrupts and backward compatibility. Targeted at sensor-based ASIC and IoT designs.
• Intelligent Sensor and Power Management (ISP) Platform Platform for sensor, power management, and IoT ASIC development combining pre-assembled digital IP (RISC-V, 8051, I3C, I2C, SPI), analog/mixed-signal IP (PLL, ADC, LDO, temperature sensor, RF energy harvester), and VLAB virtual prototyping. Sold to IoT and sensor device manufacturers needing rapid ASIC derivative creation.
• IC Engineering Services Turnkey integrated circuit design and verification services covering IP, behavioral models, virtual platforms, ICs, hardware, embedded software, and systems, including turnkey ASIC projects. Sold to semiconductor companies, OEMs, and systems companies requiring outsourced IC engineering capacity.
• Analog/Mixed Signal Design Services Analog/mixed-signal design and verification services covering system requirements capture, modeling, SoC architecture, analog IP design, digital-for-analog design, chip-level verification, physical design, and post-silicon support. Sold to semiconductor and automotive electronics teams.
• Embedded Software Development Services Full-spectrum embedded software services spanning firmware, device drivers, protocol-layer drivers, embedded applications, software integration, and ESL-based pre-silicon verification. Sold to semiconductor, automotive, IoT, and consumer electronics product teams.
• System Level Design / ESL Services Electronic System Level design services including virtual system prototyping, model-based design, pre-hardware software development, hardware/software validation, and SystemC/TLM methodology training. Sold to embedded systems engineering teams.
• USB-C/PD Product Development and Integration Services Application development and integration services for USB-C/PD products, covering firmware implementation, validation, compliance testing, and support for third-party MCU USB-C/PD silicon platforms. Sold to OEMs and product companies building USB-C/PD-enabled devices.

Quantifiable outcome

• First-pass silicon success with full functional correctness
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ARMcoreTechnology or Integration · 21 May 2014ARM Community booth partnership at DAC 2014. VLAB virtual platforms support ARM processor architectures. ASTC/VLAB Works demonstrated virtual prototyping solutions powered by ARM technology ecosystem.
• ARMcoreTechnology or IntegrationVLAB virtual platforms span ARM processor architectures including Cortex-M0 and Cortex-M4 supported in ISP platform for IoT and sensor applications.
• MIPI AlliancecoreTechnology or IntegrationASTC I3C slave IP is compliant with MIPI I3C specification. The I3C standard unifies sensor communication protocols for mobile, IoT, and embedded applications.
• VLAB WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVLAB Works is a software products subsidiary of ASTC that delivers innovative ESL and virtual prototyping solutions. Over 100 staff across global offices. Joint branding in market presence at events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SiFive: Pure-play RISC-V processor IP core vendor (Automotive, Edge AI). Directly comparable to ASTC's RISC-V RV32EC/RV32IC IP cores targeting embedded and IoT designs.
• VeriSilicon: Fabless ASIC design services provider plus semiconductor IP licensor (RISC-V, I3C, USB, PCIe, MIPI). Closest comparable to ASTC's combined turnkey ASIC design services + licensable IP business model.
• Sondrel: ASIC/SoC design services firm delivering turnkey chip design from specification through GDSII. Comparable to ASTC's IC Engineering and embedded software services for complex SoC projects.
• Andes Technology: RISC-V processor IP vendor with broad core families and a growing software/development-tools ecosystem. Direct competition to ASTC's RISC-V core offerings in embedded markets.
• Open-Silicon (SiFive Custom Silicon): ASIC design and IP services company focused on derivative SoCs and mixed-signal designs. Comparable mix of design services plus IP reuse that echoes ASTC's ISP platform model.

Broad incumbents

• Cadence Design Systems: Global EDA + IP + system-level design platform provider, including SystemC/TLM virtual prototyping tools that compete directly with VLAB. Represents the dominant incumbent ASTC must differentiate against.
• Synopsys: Largest EDA vendor offering virtual prototyping, verification IP, and design services across automotive, IoT, and high-performance computing. Competes with ASTC across ESL, IP, and design services.
• Imagination Technologies: Established IP vendor with GPU, CPU, and AI accelerator cores plus custom design services. Similar role as a licensable-IP-plus-design-services player but with much wider portfolio than ASTC.

Emerging players

• Chipus Microelectronics: Analog and mixed-signal IP vendor offering design services for power management, IoT, and sensor ASICs. Comparable to ASTC's AMS IP blocks, USB-C/PD, and IoT platform approach.
• Cortus: European RISC-V and 32-bit microcontroller IP vendor targeting embedded and IoT. Overlaps with ASTC's RISC-V cores and embedded software business for sensor-driven applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/astc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 ASTC