ForwardEdge ASIC
ForwardEdge ASIC is a wholly owned Lockheed Martin subsidiary that designs custom ASICs and FPGAs with 100% U.S. domestic traceability for defense, aerospace, and national security customers, offering design services, DDR5 products, and UCIe chiplet IP.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What ForwardEdge ASIC does
ForwardEdge ASIC is a privately-held American semiconductor company founded in May 2023 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The company provides vertically integrated ASIC and FPGA design services for defense, aerospace, and national security customers requiring 100% U.S.-based domestic traceability. Its technical stack spans architecture, logic and analog/mixed-signal design, verification, physical design, and validation across process nodes from 5nm to 180nm at foundries including TSMC, GlobalFoundries, IBM, and Honeywell. The team holds approximately 300 patents and reports an 85% first-pass silicon success rate, with particular depth in security-driven silicon (AES-256, SHA2/3, PUF, RISC-V security processors) and DDR5 memory interface IP.
The company's product portfolio combines professional design services with a growing catalog of turnkey products and IP. Hardware products include the SPD5 DDR5 SPD EEPROM with hub and integrated temperature sensor, the TS5 DDR5 temperature sensor, a UCIe 2.0 chiplet interconnect IP developed on GlobalFoundries 12LP+, and the AGX7-I-041 3U VPX FPGA board built around Intel Agilex 7. Revenue is generated through three streams: custom ASIC/FPGA design services for defense primes and government agencies; turnkey silicon product sales to data center and defense customers; and licensed IP royalties across memory controllers, cryptographic cores, and chiplet interconnect IP. ForwardEdge sells almost exclusively through direct enterprise engagement, leveraging Lockheed Martin's customer relationships, strategic foundry and technology partnerships (Honeywell, BrainChip, MIPS/GlobalFoundries, Intel), and event-driven engagement with DoD microelectronics leadership. The company was approved as a DMEA Trusted Integrated Circuit vendor in February 2026, formalizing its eligibility for national security system contracts.
ForwardEdge ASIC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ForwardEdge ASIC
- Legal name
- ForwardEdge ASIC LLC
- Website
- https://forwardedgeasic.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- ForwardEdge ASIC is a wholly owned Lockheed Martin subsidiary that designs custom ASICs and FPGAs with 100% U.S. domestic traceability for defense, aerospace, and national security customers, offering design services, DDR5 products, and UCIe chiplet IP.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ForwardEdge ASIC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Defense Microelectronics / Custom ASIC Design
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Design Services & ASIC/SoC Implementation (EDA-Adjacent) (HDAHAFAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Custom & Application-Specific ASIC Design Services (HDAHABAJ), Physical Design, DFM & Manufacturing/Mask Data Prep (HDAHAFAC), Ruggedized/Harsh-Environment Electronics Manufacturing (IP-rated, shock/vibration, wide-temp) (IMAGAGAF)
Keywords
Where ForwardEdge ASIC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ForwardEdge ASIC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Custom ASIC/FPGA Design Services: End-to-end design services from architecture through production, covering digital, analog/mixed-signal, security-driven silicon, and verification. Customers include defense primes, government agencies, and commercial companies seeking trusted, domestically traceable microelectronics.
- Turnkey ASIC Products (DDR5 Solutions): Off-the-shelf products including the SPD5 DDR5 SPD EEPROM hub, TS5 DDR5 temperature sensor, UCIe IP, and 3UVPX FPGA board. These are sold as production-ready devices to customers in data center, defense, and commercial markets.
- Licensed IP and Chiplet Solutions: Proprietary IP cores (UCIe, memory controllers, SerDes, cryptographic IP) licensed to customers integrating ForwardEdge technology into their own semiconductor designs.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
ForwardEdge ASIC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ForwardEdge ASIC provides vertically integrated ASIC and FPGA design services spanning architecture, logic design, verification, analog/mixed-signal, physical design, and validation testing. The company also sells proprietary turnkey semiconductor products (SPD5 DDR5 SPD EEPROM, TS5 DDR5 temperature sensor, UCIe chiplet interconnect IP, AGX7-I-041 3UVPX FPGA board) and licenses IP cores. Design work covers process nodes from 5nm to 180nm and emphasizes 100% U.S.-based domestic traceability for defense, aerospace, government, and commercial customers.
Product overview
ForwardEdge ASIC offers a portfolio of turnkey products, semiconductor IP, and design solutions alongside full-stack ASIC and FPGA design services. The core product lineup includes the SPD5 DDR5 SPD EEPROM with integrated temperature sensor hub and the TS5 DDR5 temperature sensor for memory interface management; UCIe IP for modular chiplet interconnect; and the 3UVPX Board featuring Intel Agilex 7 FPGA for rugged computing environments. The company leverages 300 patents and vertically integrated expertise spanning architecture, logic design, verification, physical design, and validation to deliver custom ASICs and FPGAs from concept through high-volume manufacturing, targeting aerospace, defense, commercial consumer, cyber, and digital infrastructure markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SPD5 – DDR5 SPD EEPROM with Hub and Integrated Temperature Sensor (SPD5118A0) A high-precision SPD memory hub with integrated temperature sensing, secure authentication, and advanced non-volatile memory protection for DDR5 module configuration, stability, and data retention in server and high-performance computing applications. Targeted at server OEMs, data center operators, and enterprise memory module manufacturers.
- TS5 – DDR5 Temperature Sensor (TS5110A0/TS5210A0) High-accuracy thermal monitoring sensor for DDR5 RDIMM, LRDIMM, and MRDIMM modules, providing real-time system protection and optimized performance across wide temperature ranges with secure fixed addressing and in-band interrupt support. Targeted at server, HPC, and enterprise DDR5 module manufacturers.
- UCIe IP Modular die-to-die interconnect IP supporting x16 link width at speeds up to 16 GT/s per lane, developed on GlobalFoundries 12LP+. Includes custom PHY, protocol, and die-to-die layers with replay buffering, link state logic, and robust error handling for chiplet-based SoC integration. Licensed to semiconductor companies building scalable chiplet architectures.
- 3UVPX Board (AGX7-I-041) 3U VPX plug-in module built around Intel Agilex 7 I-Series FPGA with 4 F-tiles, providing PCIe Gen 4 and 40G Ethernet connectivity. SOSA-aligned with FMC+ compatibility, designed for defense, aerospace, and high-performance computing systems in demanding environments. Sold as a turnkey board-level design solution to defense integrators and embedded computing customers.
- Custom ASIC and FPGA Design Services End-to-end ASIC and FPGA design services from architecture through high-volume manufacturing, covering digital, analog/mixed-signal, security-driven silicon, and verification. Customers include defense primes, government agencies, and commercial companies seeking trusted, domestically traceable microelectronics. Delivered by a 100% U.S.-based engineering team with 300 patents attributed.
Quantifiable outcome
- 85% first-pass silicon success rate across ASIC programs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ForwardEdge ASIC
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ForwardEdge ASIC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature8 records
ForwardEdge ASIC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and supporting.
- BrainChip Holdings Ltd.coreForwardEdge ASIC announced a strategic collaboration with BrainChip to integrate its Akida neuromorphic AI technology into ForwardEdge's custom ASIC and RF platforms for aerospace, defense, and advanced technology markets. The partnership enables high-performance, low-latency cognitive processing at the edge with reduced power consumption, combining neuromorphic AI acceleration with signal processing and RF computing to deliver production-ready edge AI solutions.
- MIPS / GlobalFoundriesflagshipForwardEdge ASIC selected MIPS S8200 RISC-V Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for an upcoming high-performance application-specific ASIC targeting mission-critical autonomous platforms. MIPS (a GlobalFoundries company) expects to sample first-silicon reference platforms featuring the S8200 in 2027, aiming to accelerate Physical AI adoption in autonomous edge devices for aerospace and defense applications.
- HoneywellcoreHoneywell and ForwardEdge ASIC announced a strategic collaboration to develop high-reliability, radiation-hardened space microelectronics. Honeywell serves as the foundry of choice, supporting ForwardEdge ASIC's development of innovative ASIC solutions for space applications such as satellites. Honeywell has been a DMEA Category 1A accredited Trusted Foundry supplier since 2008 with over 700 customer ASICs delivered for space applications and no known failures.
- GlobalFoundriescoreGlobalFoundries is listed as a key partner, providing foundry manufacturing capabilities for ForwardEdge ASIC's semiconductor products. UCIe IP is developed on GlobalFoundries 12LP+ process node. The partnership supports the company's 100% domestic traceability and supply chain security objectives.
- IntelsupportingIntel is listed as a partner, providing FPGA technology (Agilex 7) used in ForwardEdge ASIC's 3UVPX board product (AGX7-I-041). The board supports PCIe Gen 4 and 40G Ethernet for defense and aerospace applications.
- Lynx Software TechnologiessupportingLynx Software Technologies is listed as a partner, contributing software technology expertise to ForwardEdge ASIC's defense and aerospace embedded systems solutions.
- JEDECsupportingForwardEdge ASIC is a member of JEDEC, participating in standards development for memory and semiconductor technologies including DDR5, which directly supports its SPD5 and TS5 DDR5 product lines.
- UCIe ConsortiumsupportingForwardEdge ASIC is a UCIe Consortium member and has developed UCIe 2.0 IP (x16 link width, up to 16 GT/s per lane) on GlobalFoundries 12LP+, enabling scalable die-to-die connectivity for chiplet-based SoCs.
- PCI-SIG / NVM Express / GSA GlobalsupportingForwardEdge ASIC holds memberships in PCI-SIG, NVM Express, and GSA Global, participating in industry standards organizations that support its semiconductor products and design services.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
ForwardEdge ASIC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Texas Instruments: Texas Instruments provides a broad portfolio of analog and embedded processors to aerospace and defense customers, with custom ASIC capabilities that compete with ForwardEdge for defense-grade custom silicon programs.
- Analog Devices: Analog Devices is a broad-line supplier of high-performance analog, mixed-signal, and DSP components for aerospace, defense, and industrial markets, including custom ASIC engagements that overlap with ForwardEdge's mixed-signal design services.
- Honeywell Aerospace: Honeywell is both a strategic foundry partner for ForwardEdge and a broader defense/aerospace prime with internal ASIC and radiation-hardened microelectronics programs that overlap with ForwardEdge's space-grade and defense portfolio.
- Microchip Technology: Microchip supplies FPGAs, microcontrollers, and mixed-signal ICs broadly used in aerospace and defense, with established MIL-spec and rad-hard product families that compete with ForwardEdge's FPGA board and ASIC offerings.
Direct peers
- L3Harris Technologies: L3Harris is a major defense prime with internal ASIC and microelectronics design capabilities for space, electronic warfare, and tactical communications — directly comparable to ForwardEdge's vertically integrated design and trusted microelectronics business.
- BAE Systems (Electronic Systems): BAE Systems' Electronic Systems segment designs and manufactures trusted, radiation-hardened ASICs and custom microelectronics for U.S. defense and intelligence customers, directly competing with ForwardEdge on classified and mission-critical programs.
- Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions: Curtiss-Wright supplies ruggedized defense electronics, embedded computing, and custom board-level solutions for aerospace and defense — competing in the same VPX/SOSA board and mission-critical subsystem space as ForwardEdge's 3UVPX product.
- Marvell Technology: Marvell provides custom ASICs, networking, and storage silicon with significant defense and aerospace customers, competing for custom-silicon design slots in mission-critical platforms alongside ForwardEdge's design services.
- Mercury Systems: Mercury Systems designs and supplies mission-critical defense electronics, including custom ASICs, FPGAs, and secure processing subsystems for aerospace and defense primes, overlapping with ForwardEdge's design services and 3UVPX/SOSA-aligned product lines.
Others
- Cadence Design Systems: Cadence is an EDA tool and IP provider that supplies the design automation and IP backbone used by ForwardEdge and its ASIC design peers; also offers design services that occasionally compete with boutique ASIC design houses.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ForwardEdge ASIC social profiles
Digital presenceForwardEdge ASIC compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
ForwardEdge ASIC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ForwardEdge ASIC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
ForwardEdge ASIC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ForwardEdge ASIC 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 ForwardEdge ASIC
What does ForwardEdge ASIC do?
ForwardEdge ASIC provides vertically integrated ASIC and FPGA design services spanning architecture, logic design, verification, analog/mixed-signal, physical design, and validation testing. The company also sells proprietary turnkey semiconductor products (SPD5 DDR5 SPD EEPROM, TS5 DDR5 temperature sensor, UCIe chiplet interconnect IP, AGX7-I-041 3UVPX FPGA board) and licenses IP cores. Design work covers process nodes from 5nm to 180nm and emphasizes 100% U.S.-based domestic traceability for defense, aerospace, government, and commercial customers.
Is ForwardEdge ASIC a public or private company?
ForwardEdge ASIC is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was ForwardEdge ASIC founded?
ForwardEdge ASIC was founded in 2023. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is ForwardEdge ASIC based?
ForwardEdge ASIC is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does ForwardEdge ASIC make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom ASIC/FPGA Design Services are the primary driver. The others are turnkey ASIC Products (DDR5 Solutions) and licensed IP and Chiplet Solutions.
Who are ForwardEdge ASIC's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, Honeywell Aerospace and Microchip Technology. Direct peers are L3Harris Technologies, BAE Systems (Electronic Systems), Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions, Marvell Technology and Mercury Systems. Cadence Design Systems is listed as an others.
Does ForwardEdge ASIC have an API?
No public API is recorded for ForwardEdge ASIC.
What industry is ForwardEdge ASIC in?
ForwardEdge ASIC's product category is Defense Microelectronics / Custom ASIC Design. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAFAL, Design Services & ASIC/SoC Implementation (EDA-Adjacent), with a secondary code of HDAHABAJ, Custom & Application-Specific ASIC Design Services. Its NAICS code is 541512 and its SIC code is 7373.