What Imq Technology Inc. does

iMQ Technology Inc. (漢芝電子) is a fabless semiconductor company founded in December 2010 and headquartered in the Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan, with wholly-owned sales offices in Shanghai and Shenzhen. The company designs and supplies security chips, secure elements, cryptographic microcontrollers, and general-purpose 8-bit MCUs for IoT, smart home, industrial, and consumer electronics OEMs. Its product portfolio spans four families: SQ-series security ASICs and MCUs (SQ710x, SQ713x, SQ719x with PUF-based hardware root-of-trust, HQS600x, SQ7705), SQ76-series low-power MCUs with optional security processors, MQ68-series general-purpose 8-bit MCUs using a Toshiba-licensed core (with a self-developed 16-bit 870E core), MQ68 LCD-type MCUs with integrated drivers, plus a finished TD29 USB Security Dongle. Differentiated IP includes PUF key generation leveraging PUFsecurity/eMemory's NeoPUF with Quantum Tunneling Pressure, hardware cryptographic engines (AES, SHA, ECC, ECDSA, HMAC, DRBG), NIST-compliant TRNG, side-channel attack countermeasures, memory scrambling, secure boot, and secure OTA, all validated under NIST CAVP (2023), NIST ESV (2025), SESIP, PSA Level 3, STQC, and ISO 9001:2015.

iMQ makes money primarily by selling its chips directly to OEM/ODM customers under quote-based, multi-year volume contracts (pricing is not publicly disclosed), supplemented by engineering services, the MQ-Link emulator, Flash/Secure Writer programmers, and Secure Starter Kit evaluation platforms. The go-to-market is a sales-led motion with three operating channels: direct enterprise sales for chip design-ins, embedded/white-label distribution through module partners (UBEC for RF, Realtek/Cybertrust/CHANGING/FLH for Matter, Augentix and Trueview for STQC-certified IP cameras), and event-driven demand generation at CYBERSEC Taiwan, IFSEC India, and CEATEC Japan. Cumulative global shipments exceed 100 million units across product lines. The company is privately held and founder-led, with no disclosed external funding, and concentrates operations in Taiwan and mainland China while pursuing regulated opportunities in India, the EU, and the post-quantum cryptography roadmap.

Customer concentration is moderate-to-diversified across named integration partners spanning IP surveillance (Trueview, Augentix), RF/wireless modules (UBEC), AI edge (Kneron), secure provisioning services (DediProg), IDE/EDA tooling (Solid Sands), Matter IoT (Cybertrust, Realtek, CHANGING/FLH), quantum-secure chip-to-cloud (Crypto Quantique), and hardware-rooted DID for AI agents (SecuX), though revenue split is undisclosed.

Name

Imq Technology Inc.

Legal name

iMQ Technology Inc.

Website

https://imqtech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

iMQ Technology Inc. is a Taiwan-based fabless semiconductor company that designs secure elements, PUF-based cryptographic MCUs, and general-purpose microcontrollers for IoT, smart home, surveillance, and embedded OEMs worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Embedded Security Semiconductor ICs

akta.pro primary industry

Secure Elements & Trusted Execution Processors (TPM/TEE/Crypto MCUs) (HDAHAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Security & Trusted Hardware ICs (Secure Element/TPM/Crypto) (HDAHABAF), Secure ICs, Smart Cards & Trusted Hardware (HDAHAAAJ), Quantum-Safe Hardware & Embedded Security (TPM/secure elements/firmware) (HDAGAGAJ), Key Management, Encryption & Secrets Management (KMS/HSM/Vault) (HDABAHAG), General-Purpose Logic & Microcontrollers (MCU/MPU) (HDAHAAAA)

Keywords

• Secure element chips
• Cryptographic microcontrollers
• IoT security ICs
• PUF secure ASICs
• Embedded microcontrollers

Headquarters

HQ city

Hsinchu

HQ country

Taiwan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Security Chip Sales (Secure ASICs and Secure MCUs): iMQ generates revenue primarily from the sale of its proprietary security chip products including SQ71 Secure ASICs (SQ7101/03, SQ7131/33/35, SQ7191/93, HQS6003E/04E), SQ77 Secure MCUs (SQ7705), and related certified security solutions. Revenue is generated through direct sales of chips to OEMs, module manufacturers, and device makers who embed the chips in their end products.
2. General-Purpose and LCD Microcontroller Sales (MQ and SQ76 Series): iMQ sells general-purpose microcontrollers (MQ6801, MQ6811, MQ6812, etc.) and low-power general-purpose microcontrollers with 12-bit ADC (SQ7613, SQ7615, SQ7617, SQ7653, SQ7515) to home appliance, consumer electronics, industrial control, and IoT manufacturers. Revenue is one-time per chip unit with repeat orders from established customers.
3. Engineering Services and Technical Support: iMQ provides engineering services including application support, sample code, technical documentation, IDE tools (MQ-Link), writers (Flash Writer, Secure Writer), and Secure Starter Kit development platforms, generating supplementary service revenue alongside chip sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

iMQ Technology Inc. designs and supplies proprietary security chips (Secure ASICs and Secure MCUs) and general-purpose microcontrollers for IoT, smart home, industrial automation, and consumer electronics applications. The company's SQ series combines PUF-based hardware root-of-trust, NIST-certified cryptographic engines, secure boot, secure OTA, tamper detection, and side-channel attack countermeasures in compact low-power silicon. iMQ also sells MQ-series 8-bit general-purpose and LCD-type microcontrollers built on Toshiba-licensed cores for home appliances and embedded control applications, complemented by engineering services and development tools (MQ-Link, Flash Writer, Secure Starter Kit).

Product overview

iMQ Technology Inc. (漢芝電子) is a fabless semiconductor company founded in 2010, headquartered in Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan, providing embedded microcontrollers and security chip solutions for IoT, smart home, industrial, and consumer electronics applications. The product portfolio is organized into four main MCU/Secure IC lines: (1) SQ series security ICs — high-security ASICs and Secure MCUs with TRNG, AES-256, SHA-256, PUF, and anti-tamper features (SQ710x, SQ713x, SQ719x, HQS600x, SQ7705); (2) SQ76 series low-power MCUs — general-purpose microcontrollers with 12-bit ADC, EEPROM options, and optional security processors (SQ7515, SQ7613, SQ7615, SQ7617, SQ7653); (3) MQ68 series general-purpose 8-bit MCUs with 10-bit ADC and Toshiba-licensed core (MQ6801, MQ6811, MQ6821, MQ6823); (4) MQ68 LCD-type MCUs with integrated LCD drivers (MQ6812, MQ6815, MQ6822, MQ6825, MQ6832, MQ6835). The portfolio also includes the TD29 USB Security Dongle (FIPS 140-3 certified hardware authenticator), and development tools (MQ-Link emulator, Flash Writer/Secure Writer programmers, Secure Starter Kit evaluation kits). Supported by complete SDK, IDE (V3.90), datasheets, application notes, IAP firmware update libraries, IEC60730 Class B safety libraries, and technical support forums.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SQ Series Secure ASICs Family of high-security, low-power Secure ASICs (SQ7101/03, SQ7131/33/35, SQ7191/93, HQS6003E/04E) featuring TRNG, hardware AES-128/256, SHA-256, ECC-256/384, SPA/DPA countermeasures, enclosure intrusion protection, tamper resistance, secure boot, secure storage, secure OTA, and two-way authentication. SQ7191 adds PUF-based key generation via Quantum Tunneling PUF technology. Targets IoT device manufacturers and OEMs needing hardware-rooted trust.
• SQ7705 Secure Microcontroller 16-bit Secure MCU (TLCS-870/C1 core, 24 MHz) with multi-layer security architecture: Secure Zone (TEE), Memory Scrambling, hardware AES-128/256 encryption engine (up to 2.9 Mbps), NIST CAVP-certified TRNG and SHA-256, Secure Boot, Secure OTA. 64KB Flash, 8KB SRAM, 8KB EEPROM, deep sleep <1 µA. Supports UART, SPI, I2C, PWM, RTC, ADC. LQFP64 package. For IoT, voice terminals, wearables, and smart home applications.
• SQ76 Series Low-Power MCUs Low-power microcontroller family (SQ7515, SQ7613, SQ7615, SQ7617, SQ7653) with 12-bit ADC options, 64KB Flash, 4-8KB RAM, integrated security processor (TRNG, SHA-256, AES-128/256) on selected variants, RTC, UART, I2C, SPI, 16-bit timers. 24 MHz operation, 2.0-5.5V, -40°C to 85°C. SQ7615/SQ7653 supported by IEC60730 Class B safety library. Targets home appliances, consumer electronics, industrial control, and IoT.
• MQ68 Series General-Purpose 8-bit MCUs General-purpose 8-bit MCU family (MQ6801, MQ6811, MQ6821, MQ6823) with Toshiba-licensed core, 8-16KB Flash (some with MTP), 256B-2KB RAM, 10-bit ADC, timers, WDT, RTC, UART, SIO, I2C. 8-16 MHz operation, 2.0-5.5V, -40°C to 85°C. IAP firmware update supported. For home appliances, consumer electronics, and industrial control.
• MQ68 Series LCD-Type 8-bit MCUs LCD-type 8-bit MCU family (MQ6812, MQ6815, MQ6822, MQ6825, MQ6832, MQ6835) with integrated LCD drivers (8x12 to 8x28), 16KB Flash (some with MTP), 512B-2KB RAM, 10-bit ADC, timers, WDT, RTC, UART, SIO, I2C, comparators. 16 MHz operation, 2.0-5.5V, -40°C to 85°C. MQ6825 supported by IEC60730 Class B library. For home appliances with LCD displays (washing machines, air conditioners, thermostats).
• TD29 USB Security Dongle FIPS 140-3 certified USB security dongle with plug-and-play USB-A interface, industrial-grade enclosure (-25°C to 85°C), and LED status indicator. Supports NIST P-256/P-384 ECC, AES-128/256, ECDSA (FIPS 186-4), ECDH (NIST SP 800-56A), SHA-256 (FIPS 180-4), HMAC (FIPS 198-1). Targets secure identity management, digital certificate generation/verification, system integrity verification, and encrypted communications for enterprise and government users.
• MQ-Link Emulator and Development Tools Proprietary in-circuit emulator supporting all SQ and MQ series Flash MCU products for debugging and in-circuit programming (ICP). Includes development boards for SQ7705, SQ7653, SQ7613, SQ7615, SQ7515, and MQ68-series chips. Targets embedded systems engineers integrating iMQ microcontrollers into end products.
• Flash Writer and Secure Writer Programmers Flash Writer supports MQ and SQ76 series MCU programming with stable, fast performance. Secure Writer supports SQ71, SQ75, SQ77 series security ICs with end-to-end secure programming, sensitive data protection during production, and chip quantity control. Software V3.37 for Flash Writer; Software V1.30 for Secure Writer. For production engineering teams.
• Secure Starter Kit Evaluation kit for SQ71 and HQS600xE series cryptographic chips. Includes socket board, user guide, application notes, and development software (iMQ StarterKit Setup V4.4.01). Supports SQ7101/SQ7103, SQ7131/SQ7133/SQ7135, HQS6003E/HQS6004E, SQ7515, SQ7191/SQ7193. For engineers evaluating iMQ security chip integration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 million iMQ microcontrollers and security chips shipped globally
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability3 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and important.

• SecuX (安瀚科技)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026iMQ integrates its PUF SE security chip technology (SQ7191 and CQ9008 series chips using eMemory/PUFsecurity's NeoPUF IP) into SecuX's PUF Signer Dongle (SecuHSM). This partnership establishes a hardware-level decentralized identifier (DID) trust foundation for the AI agent era, providing immutable physical isolation for digital content signing and authentication. The collaboration targets AI agents, blockchain ledger integration, and DID evaluation mechanisms.
• TrueviewcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026iMQ and Trueview established a strategic partnership achieving BIS-ER and STQC certification for their integrated IP camera solution, enabling entry into India's mandatory STQC-certified smart surveillance market. The partnership offers OEM and ODM business models to Indian SMEs, enterprises, and government buyers. Future plans include incorporating PUF and PQC capabilities into Trueview's roadmap.
• UBEC (Uniband Electronic Corporation / 達盛電子)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 January 2026iMQ integrated its SQ7131 security chip (SESIP & PSA Level 3 certified) into UBEC's UZ8900 433 MHz RF IC module, delivering enterprise-grade security for wireless IoT applications including medical devices, secure remote controllers, Zigbee networks, smart grids, and Matter-enabled IoT devices. The module features TRNG, AES-128/256, ECC-256/384, SHA-256, secure boot, and secure OTA.
• Cybertrust, Realtek Semiconductor, CHANGING (Ciot), FLH (Ferqo)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2025At CEATEC 2025, iMQ joined an alliance to provide SESIP and PSA Level 3 certified secure elements (SQ7131, SQ7191) for the 'All-in-One Matter Module + AI/Cloud Service.' This solution integrates communication chips, Secure Elements, DAC certificate services, and unified SDK tools to enable Matter-compliant smart home device deployment with certified security credentials.
• Augentix (多方科技)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 August 2025iMQ and Augentix jointly developed an IP camera integration solution combining Augentix's HC1705K SoC platform with iMQ's SQ7131S secure element, achieving STQC certification from India's MeitY. This enables both companies to enter India's growing smart city and public surveillance market with fully integrated, regulation-compliant solutions.
• PUFsecuritycoreTechnology or Integration · 9 July 2025iMQ and PUFsecurity co-launched the SQ7191 security chip featuring Quantum Tunneling PUF technology. The SQ7191 leverages PUFsecurity's NeoPUF IP which employs precisely controlled voltage pressure to amplify minute physical variations in semiconductor manufacturing, creating highly stable and unclonable chip fingerprints for cryptographic key generation.
• DediProg (岱鐠科技)importantTechnology or Integration · 10 April 2025DediProg provides encrypted provisioning services for iMQ's SQ7131 secure element chip, integrating proprietary 'Key Insertion System' under zero trust architecture for ciphertext processing and strict permission verification. This strengthens security in the production process for automotive electronics and IoT industry customers, ensuring data cannot be copied, tampered, or read during firmware provisioning.
• Crypto QuantiqueimportantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2024iMQ partnered with Crypto Quantique to enable quantum-secure chip-to-cloud connection using iMQ's SQ7131 security chip with Crypto Quantique's QuarkLink software platform. This partnership provides secure connectivity for IoT products, enables secure OTA updates throughout device lifecycle, and incorporates post-quantum cryptography to protect against quantum computing threats, targeting compliance with EU Cyber Resilience Act and other IoT security regulations.
• Kneron (耐能)importantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2021iMQ and Kneron jointly presented a 3D AI Smart Lock Solution combining Kneron's KL520 AI processor and 3D facial recognition algorithm with iMQ's SQ7615 and SQ7103 security chips. The solution provides hardware-root-of-trust from boot-up, protects AI algorithms, stores biometric data in tamper-resistant vaults, and secures device-to-cloud connections.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NXP Semiconductors: Major secure IC vendor offering EdgeLock SE050/SE051 secure elements and EdgeLock 2GO cloud services for IoT device attestation — directly addresses iMQ's IoT TPM/SESIP/PSA Level 3 use cases for Matter and IP camera partners like Augentix at much larger volumes.
• Infineon Technologies: Global semiconductor incumbent with the OPTIGA Trust family of secure elements, TPMs, and PQC-roadmap products serving IoT, industrial, and automotive — competes with iMQ's SQ71/SQ7191 secure elements in the same IoT security socket but with vastly greater scale and FAE reach.
• Silicon Laboratories (Silicon Labs): IoT-focused SoC vendor with secure (Secure Vault) MCU families and Matter/Zigbee wireless portfolios — comparable to iMQ on IoT device attestation and Matter PSA-Certified Level 3 secure-element positioning for Matter module partners like Realtek.
• Microchip Technology: Diversified MCU and security IC vendor (PIC, AVR, SAM, CryptoAuthentication ICs like ATECC608) — comparable to iMQ on secure-element IP (TRNG, hardware AES/ECCC), IoT device attestation use cases, and white-goods/industrial customer base.
• Renesas Electronics: Established MCU and security IC vendor with RA, RX, and RL78 families plus security-focused products for IoT, smart home, and industrial — overlaps with iMQ's MQ68/SQ76 product positioning and competes for the same Toshiba-cored legacy customer base in Asia.
• STMicroelectronics: Global microcontroller and secure element vendor (STM32 + STSAFE) targeting industrial, IoT, and smart home OEMs — competes with iMQ's SQ71 secure ASICs and SQ7705 secure microcontroller in the same white-goods and Matter ecosystems at higher volume and broader reference designs.

Regional players

• Winbond Electronics: Taiwan-listed fabless/MCU+memory company historically parent of Nuvoton and a competitor in Asia MCU channels — competes with iMQ on Toshiba-derived general-purpose MCU IP and Taiwan/China distribution, though its specialty memory business differentiates it.

Emerging players

• Espressif Systems: China-headquartered fabless Wi-Fi/BLE SoC vendor deeply embedded in Asian IoT and Matter ecosystems — overlapping customer base with iMQ's IoT and white-goods targets, though Espressif's primary differentiator is wireless SoC rather than discrete secure elements.

Direct peers

• Nuvoton Technology: Taiwan-based fabless MCU and secure IC company (spun out of Winbond) selling 8/32-bit MCUs and security-focused ICs into IoT, white-goods, and industrial customers — directly comparable to iMQ's MQ68 general-purpose and SQ secure-element portfolios and Taiwan/CChina distribution model.
• Holtek Semiconductor: Taiwan fabless MCU and MCU-with-security specialty IC supplier focused on home appliances, consumer electronics, and IoT — overlapping with iMQ's MQ68 general-purpose and LCD-type MCU line in target customers, channels, and pricing band.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Imq Technology Inc.