Cavium
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersSan Jose, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Cavium firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cavium
- Legal name
- Cavium, Inc.
- Website
- https://cavium.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cavium industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Network Semiconductor Processors
- NAICS
- Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334290), Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334220), Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (3341)
- SIC
- Computer Peripheral Equipment, Nec (3577)
- akta.pro primary industry
- NFV Infrastructure (NFVI) (HDAFANAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- High-Performance Networking Adapters (InfiniBand/RDMA/Ultra-Low Latency) (HDAFAEAD), Residential Broadband CPE (DSL/Cable/Fiber Gateways) (HDAFAIAA)
Keywords
Where Cavium is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Jose
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Cavium business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Custom Silicon Sales: Custom silicon co-design partnerships with hyperscalers (AWS, Microsoft, Google) generating significant revenue, with AI-related revenue expected to exceed $2.5 billion in FY2026
- Standard Semiconductor Products: Standard interconnect, networking, compute, and storage semiconductor products sold to enterprise and carrier customers
- Optical Communications: Optical interconnects for AI cluster connectivity, including coherent DSPs, DCI optical modules, and PAM DSPs
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cavium product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cavium was a semiconductor company that developed and marketed multi-core MIPS and ARM-based processors for networking, security, storage, and wireless applications. The company specialized in high-performance, low-power semiconductor processors designed for intelligent and secure network infrastructure.
Product overview
Cavium was a semiconductor company specializing in multi-core MIPS and ARM processors for networking, security, storage, and wireless applications. The company was acquired by Marvell Technology in 2018 for approximately $6 billion. Specific Cavium product details are not available in the provided source material, which focuses on Marvell's post-acquisition portfolio including custom silicon, data processing units, networking switches, and optical interconnect solutions for AI infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Multi-core MIPS and ARM Processors
Quantifiable outcome
- 88% year-over-year data center revenue growth in fiscal 2025
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cavium
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cavium technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Cavium partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- NVIDIAcoreNVLink Fusion strategic partnership expanding the AI ecosystem. Marvell joined forces with NVIDIA through this initiative to enable enhanced AI infrastructure interoperability and connectivity solutions.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreCustom silicon co-design partnership where Marvell designs tailored ASICs for AWS's unique AI data-center architectures, serving as a critical AI infrastructure partner.
- MicrosoftcoreCustom silicon co-design partnership for AI infrastructure with Microsoft, developing tailored solutions for their hyperscale data center requirements.
- GooglecoreCustom silicon co-design partnership with Google for developing AI-optimized semiconductors tailored to Google's specific infrastructure needs.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cavium competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- EZchip Semiconductor: Specialist designer of network processors that competed directly with Cavium's OCTEON family; later absorbed by Mellanox (now part of NVIDIA), further concentrating networking-silicon competition.
- Broadcom: Dominant networking-silicon vendor and direct Cavium competitor across multi-core network processors, switching ASICs, and security processors; consolidated the market further with the acquisition of Cavium's direct rival NetLogic Microsystems.
- NetLogic Microsystems: Direct competitor to Cavium in multi-core network processors and knowledge-based processors, acquired by Broadcom in 2012; its product portfolio mapped closely to Cavium's OCTEON and NITROX product lines.
- Vitesse Semiconductor: Provider of Ethernet switching and PHY silicon for enterprise and carrier networks; a direct competitor to Cavium's Xpliant-derived switching portfolio, now part of Microchip Technology.
- Tilera Corporation: Multi-core MIPS/ARM-based networking processor vendor and a direct technical competitor to Cavium in high-performance network and storage processing, later acquired by EZchip/Mellanox.
- MACOM Technology (Applied Micro): Through the Applied Micro acquisition, MACOM competes in merchant networking processors (X-Gene) and high-performance cloud-compute silicon, providing an overlapping product portfolio with Cavium's networking/cloud processor range.
Emerging players
- AMD (Pensando): Through the Pensando acquisition, AMD now competes in data-center DPU and intelligent networking silicon, emerging as a newer rival to Cavium-style programmable networking processors in cloud and AI infrastructure.
Broad incumbents
- NVIDIA (Mellanox): Through its Mellanox acquisition, NVIDIA became a leading supplier of InfiniBand and high-performance networking silicon for cloud and AI workloads, competing with Cavium's high-speed networking/data-center adapter roadmap.
- Microchip Technology (Microsemi/Vitesse): Through Microsemi and Vitesse Semiconductor acquisitions, Microchip offers carrier-grade networking and Ethernet switching silicon, overlapping with Cavium's telecom-grade networking processor and switching products.
- Intel Corporation: Long-standing networking-silicon participant (IXP, Atom-based networking, Ethernet) with broader portfolio scope than Cavium; an incumbent in embedded CPUs and base-station controllers that competed head-to-head with Cavium's OCTEON line.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cavium social profiles
Digital presenceCavium financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cavium leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Cavium funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cavium M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A7 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cavium
What does Cavium do?
Cavium was a semiconductor company that developed and marketed multi-core MIPS and ARM-based processors for networking, security, storage, and wireless applications. The company specialized in high-performance, low-power semiconductor processors designed for intelligent and secure network infrastructure.
Is Cavium a public or private company?
Cavium is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Cavium founded?
Cavium was founded in 2000. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Cavium based?
Cavium is headquartered in San Jose, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cavium make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom Silicon Sales are the primary driver. The others are standard Semiconductor Products and optical Communications.
Who are Cavium's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are EZchip Semiconductor, Broadcom, NetLogic Microsystems, Vitesse Semiconductor, Tilera Corporation and MACOM Technology (Applied Micro). AMD (Pensando) is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are NVIDIA (Mellanox), Microchip Technology (Microsemi/Vitesse) and Intel Corporation.
Does Cavium have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cavium.
What industry is Cavium in?
Cavium's product category is Network Semiconductor Processors. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAFANAB, NFV Infrastructure (NFVI), with a secondary code of HDAFAEAD, High-Performance Networking Adapters (InfiniBand/RDMA/Ultra-Low Latency). Its NAICS code is 334290 and its SIC code is 3577.