Altera
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Altera does
Altera is an FPGA semiconductor company headquartered in San Jose, California, that was spun out of Intel in 2023 after eight years as Intel's Programmable Solutions Group. The company designs and sells field-programmable gate arrays across a tiered portfolio: high-performance Agilex 9, Agilex 7, and Stratix 10 devices; mid-range Agilex 5 and Arria 10 parts; and cost- and power-optimized Agilex 3, MAX 10, MAX V, and Cyclone families. Underlying technologies include the Hyperflex core fabric, integrated Direct RF analog conversion, and AI tensor blocks embedded in Agilex 5 and 3, all of which target compute, signal processing, and AI inference acceleration.
Altera firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Altera
- Legal name
- Altera Corporation
- Website
- https://altera.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Altera industry classification
Industry- Product category
- FPGA and Programmable Logic Semiconductors
- NAICS
- Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing (334413)
- SIC
- Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Programmable Logic (FPGAs/CPLDs) (HDAHAJAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Compute & Acceleration ICs (CPU/GPU/AI/FPGA/ASIC) (HDAHABAC), Advanced SoCs & Application Processors (HDAHAAAB)
Keywords
Where Altera is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Altera business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel
Revenue model
- FPGA and SoC Hardware Sales: Altera generates primary revenue from selling FPGA devices, SoC FPGAs, and CPLDs across multiple product families (Agilex, Stratix, Arria, MAX, Cyclone) targeting applications in data center, industrial, aerospace/defense, wireless, and consumer electronics.
- Quartus Prime Design Software Licenses: Quartus Prime software is available in Pro (paid with advanced features), Standard (paid), and Lite (free) editions. Revenue generated through software license subscriptions and perpetual licenses.
- FPGA AI Suite Licenses: FPGA AI Suite is available in limited free version and paid unlimited version for AI inference development on Altera FPGAs. Sold through distributors like DigiKey and Mouser.
- Intellectual Property (IP) Licensing: Altera offers a comprehensive portfolio of IP cores including interfaces (PCI Express, Ethernet, CXL), memory controllers, DSP/AI functions, and soft processors (Nios V RISC-V) that customers license for use in their FPGA designs.
- Development Tools and Hardware: Revenue from development kits, simulation tools (Questa), debugging tools, and add-on development tools including DSP Builder, oneAPI support, and P4 Suite for FPGAs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | FPGA AI Suite - Limited Version (Free) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Others | FPGA AI Suite - Unlimited Version (Paid) |
| Freemium | Others | Quartus Prime Lite Edition (Free) |
| Subscription | Annual | Quartus Prime Pro Edition (Paid) |
| Subscription | Annual | Quartus Prime Standard Edition (Paid) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Questa - Altera FPGA Edition (Paid) |
| Freemium | Annual | Questa - Altera FPGA Starter Edition (Free) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels10 records
Marketing channels8 records
Altera product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Altera designs, manufactures, and sells FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), SoC FPGA, and CPLD semiconductor devices across product families including Agilex 3/5/7/9, Stratix 10, Arria 10/V, MAX 10/V, and Cyclone IV/V/10. The company complements its silicon portfolio with the Quartus Prime Design Software suite, FPGA AI Suite, Questa simulation, Open FPGA Stack (OFS), DSP Builder, and a broad portfolio of licensable IP cores (PCI Express, Ethernet, CXL, memory controllers, Nios V soft processors) sold to enterprise customers across data center, communications, industrial, aerospace/defense, medical, transportation, broadcast/Pro AV, and test & measurement markets.
Product overview
Altera is a leading FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and SoC (System-on-Chip) technology company offering a comprehensive portfolio organized by performance tier. The high-performance segment includes Agilex 9 (Direct RF-Series with integrated data converters up to 64 Gsps), Agilex 7 (with F/I/M-Series variants, up to 4M LEs, 116Gbps transceivers), and Stratix 10 (with GX/SX/TX/DX/AX variants featuring Hyperflex architecture). Mid-range offerings comprise Agilex 5 (first with AI tensor blocks, up to 152.6 TOPS), Arria 10 (40% lower power), and Arria V (lowest power-per-bandwidth). Power and cost-optimized products include Agilex 3 (with PQC security), MAX 10 (non-volatile, instant-on), MAX V CPLD, and Cyclone family (V, IV, 10) spanning from cost-sensitive to higher-bandwidth applications. The development ecosystem centers on Quartus Prime Design Software (Pro/Standard/Lite editions), augmented by AI acceleration tools (FPGA AI Suite with spatial architecture, oneAPI add-on), simulation tools (Questa, Simics), DSP development (DSP Builder), and specialized tools (Power/Thermal Analyzer, Advanced Link Analyzer, Transceiver Toolkit, Visual Designer Studio). Open FPGA Stack provides open-source infrastructure for platform customization. The portfolio serves industries including data center, communications, industrial, medical, automotive, aerospace/defense, and broadcast/pro AV.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FPGA AI Suite: AI inference development platform for creating AI accelerators on Altera FPGAs and SoCs
- Quartus Prime
- Open FPGA Stack (OFS)
- Nios V
- Visual Designer Studio
Products and services
- Agilex 9 Direct RF-Series SoC FPGA High-performance SoC FPGA with integrated Direct RF sampling data converters (up to 64 Gsps ADC/DAC), 10nm SuperFin process, quad-core ARM processors, and up to 38 TFLOPS DSP performance for RF signal processing applications in radar, electronic warfare, and defense communications.
- Agilex 7 FPGA and SoC FPGA Highest-performance general-purpose FPGAs delivering ~2X better fabric performance per watt than competing 7nm FPGAs, with integrated Arm processors, transceivers up to 116 Gbps, PCIe 5.0, CXL, and 32 GB HBM2e. Available in F-Series, I-Series, and M-Series variants for data center, networking, and high-bandwidth applications.
- Stratix 10 FPGA and SoC FPGA High-performance FPGA family featuring Hyperflex architecture with EMIB and AIB chiplet technology. Available in GX, SX SoC (quad-core ARM Cortex-A53), TX, DX (PCIe 4.0), and AX (Direct RF) variants for high-throughput networking, compute, and signal processing.
- Agilex 5 FPGA and SoC FPGA First FPGA fabric with AI tensor blocks for higher compute density. E-Series optimized for edge AI with dual-core Arm Cortex-A55/A76 and up to 26 TOPS INT8; D-Series for performance workloads with up to 152.6 TOPS INT8 inference.
- Agilex 3 FPGA and SoC FPGA Power and cost-optimized FPGAs bringing high-performance Hyperflex architecture to entry-level applications. Features 12.5 Gbps transceivers, AI-optimized DSPs with tensor blocks, dual-core ARM Cortex-A55, and advanced security with post-quantum cryptography native boot.
- Arria 10 FPGA and SoC FPGA Mid-range FPGAs delivering full speed grade core performance improvement and 20% fMAX advantage over competition with 40% lower power than previous generation. GT variant supports up to 78 full-duplex transceivers at 25.78 Gbps.
- Arria V FPGA and SoC FPGA Lowest total power mid-range FPGAs for remote radio units, 10G/40G line cards, and broadcast equipment. GZ offers lowest power-per-bandwidth with transceivers up to 12.5 Gbps; ST/SX variants include dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 HPS.
- MAX 10 FPGA Non-volatile FPGA integrating flash memory, PLD, RAM, DSP, DDR3 memory interface, ADC, PLLs, and various I/O standards in small packages from 3mm x 3mm. Features instant-on capability with configuration in less than 10ms.
- MAX V CPLD Non-volatile CPLD architecture integrating flash, RAM, and oscillators into a single device for low-power control and bridging applications.
- Cyclone 10 FPGA
Quantifiable outcome
- 40% higher compute density delivered by next-generation Agilex 9 Direct RF-Series SoC FPGA
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use Altera
Customer profileSegments10 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Altera technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability8 records
Feature9 records
Altera partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- DigiKey ElectronicscoreDigiKey is a worldwide authorized distributor for Altera FPGA products. Located in Thief River Falls, MN, USA. Serves customers globally for purchase of FPGA devices, development tools, and software licenses.
- Mouser ElectronicscoreMouser is a worldwide authorized distributor for Altera products. Located in Mansfield, Texas, USA. Offers FPGA devices, development kits, and software products to customers globally.
- Arrow ElectronicscoreArrow is an authorized distributor for Americas region covering United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico. Provides local sales support and technical expertise for Altera products in the region.
- MacnicacoreMacnica group serves as authorized distributor across Americas (Macnica Americas, Macnica DHW) and Asia Pacific (Macnica Inc Japan, Macnica Cytech, Macnica Galaxy) regions. Located in Solana Beach, CA for Americas operations.
- Arrow Central EuropemajorArrow Central Europe is the authorized distributor for EMEA region covering Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, and other European and Middle Eastern countries.
- BraemacminorBraemac is an authorized distributor for Australia and New Zealand. Located in Alexandria, NSW, Australia.
- Uniquest CorporationminorUniquest Corporation is an authorized distributor for South Korea. Located in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
- EastronicsminorEastronics is an authorized distributor for Israel. Located in Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Hitek SystemsminorHitek Systems develops high-performance PCIe acceleration boards with Agilex 7 FPGAs as part of the Open FPGA Stack (OFS) ecosystem.
- SigmaX.aiminorSigmaX.ai deploys real-time data management solutions using FPGA-based boards and fully open-source code as part of the OFS ecosystem.
- SAPminorSAP prototypes containerized workload using Open FPGA Stack (OFS) technology from Altera.
- FlysliceminorFlyslice offers high-performance FPGA acceleration cards developed using Open FPGA Stack (OFS) for enterprise applications.
- EmbedWayminorEmbedWay accelerates performance of traditional network security applications using OFS-enabled Altera FPGAs.
- Artiza NetworksminorArtiza offers PCIe-based SmartNICs addressing vRAN, NFV, and MEC acceleration using Altera FPGAs.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Altera competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- QuickLogic: FPGA company with low-power, sensor processing, and AI/ML SoCs. Targets edge AI and always-on applications, overlapping with Altera's MAX and Agilex 3 edge offerings.
- Efinix: Emerging FPGA company with focus on low-power, high-density FPGAs using Quantum fabric. Competes with Agilex 3, MAX, and Cyclone in edge and consumer applications.
Broad incumbents
- NVIDIA: Dominant GPU/AI accelerator company. While not directly selling FPGAs, NVIDIA GPUs and DPUs are key alternatives in the AI inference and data center acceleration workloads where Altera FPGAs compete.
- Marvell Technology: Broad semiconductor company with significant presence in data center networking, storage, and custom silicon (ASICs). Competes with Altera FPGAs in SmartNIC/DPU and communications infrastructure where programmable logic alternatives exist.
- Broadcom: Diversified semiconductor incumbent with strong positioning in networking, broadband, and custom ASICs. Competes with Altera FPGAs in data center, communications, and broadband silicon.
Direct peers
- AMD (Xilinx): AMD acquired Xilinx in 2022, forming the dominant competitor in high-performance FPGAs, SoC FPGAs, and Adaptive SoCs. Directly competes across Agilex/Stratix/Arria portfolios in data center, communications, aerospace/defense, and industrial.
- Microchip Technology: Offers FPGAs (PolarFire, IGLOO, ProASIC3) along with MCUs and mixed-signal ICs. Direct competitor in low-power and mid-range FPGA segments, especially industrial and aerospace/defense where Altera's MAX/Cyclone families compete.
- Lattice Semiconductor: Pure-play FPGA company specializing in low-power, small-form-factor FPGAs and programmable logic, competing with Altera's MAX, Cyclone, and Agilex 3 families in industrial, consumer, and edge applications.
- Achronix Semiconductor: Fabless FPGA and eFPGA company targeting high-performance compute, networking, and AI acceleration. Competes directly with Agilex family in data center acceleration and AI workloads.
Regional players
- Renesas Electronics: Japanese semiconductor company with MCU and FPGA (formerly Dialog/IDT) portfolios. Competes with Altera in industrial and automotive markets, particularly in Asia-Pacific regions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Altera social profiles
Digital presenceAltera financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Altera leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Altera funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Altera 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 Altera
What does Altera do?
Altera designs, manufactures, and sells FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), SoC FPGA, and CPLD semiconductor devices across product families including Agilex 3/5/7/9, Stratix 10, Arria 10/V, MAX 10/V, and Cyclone IV/V/10. The company complements its silicon portfolio with the Quartus Prime Design Software suite, FPGA AI Suite, Questa simulation, Open FPGA Stack (OFS), DSP Builder, and a broad portfolio of licensable IP cores (PCI Express, Ethernet, CXL, memory controllers, Nios V soft processors) sold to enterprise customers across data center, communications, industrial, aerospace/defense, medical, transportation, broadcast/Pro AV, and test & measurement markets.
Is Altera a public or private company?
Altera is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Altera founded?
Altera was founded in 1983.
Where is Altera based?
Altera is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does Altera make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. FPGA and SoC Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are quartus Prime Design Software Licenses, FPGA AI Suite Licenses, intellectual Property (IP) Licensing and development Tools and Hardware.
Who are Altera's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are QuickLogic and Efinix. Broad incumbents are NVIDIA, Marvell Technology and Broadcom. Direct peers are AMD (Xilinx), Microchip Technology, Lattice Semiconductor and Achronix Semiconductor. Renesas Electronics is listed as a regional player.
Does Altera have an API?
No public API is recorded for Altera.
What industry is Altera in?
Altera's product category is FPGA and Programmable Logic Semiconductors. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAJAG, Programmable Logic (FPGAs/CPLDs), with a secondary code of HDAHABAC, Compute & Acceleration ICs (CPU/GPU/AI/FPGA/ASIC). Its NAICS code is 334413 and its SIC code is 3674.