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QUICKLOGIC Corp
QUICKLOGIC Corp, led by CEO Brian Faith, licenses embedded FPGA IP to SoC designers and supplies rad-hard programmable logic to aerospace and defense...
QUICKLOGIC Corp
QUICKLOGIC Corp was incorporated in 1983 by John Birkner and H.T. Chua, two veterans of the early programmable-logic era who positioned the company as a fabless semiconductor firm specializing in low-power FPGAs. Unlike Xilinx or Altera, which focused on high-density standalone chips, QUICKLOGIC carved a niche in ultra-low-power programmable logic for mobile and embedded systems. The firm went public in 1999 and has since operated from San Jose, California, with an engineering presence in Hyderabad, India, and sales support across North America and Asia. The company's strategy has bifurcated into two distinct revenue streams: mature, low-density FPGA product lines serving aerospace, defense, and industrial customers, and a high-growth intellectual property licensing business built around its Australis eFPGA technology. The IP licensing model allows semiconductor companies and system OEMs to embed reprogrammable logic blocks directly into their own SoCs — a structural shift that reduces bill-of-materials cost and power consumption compared to off-chip FPGA solutions. Publicly disclosed licensing engagements have included partnerships with Intel for its foundry customers and with SkyWater Technology, a U.S.-based pure-play foundry. QUICKLOGIC also maintains a legacy product line serving U.S. Department of Defense programs, where its chips appear in missile guidance systems and secure communications equipment. As a public company with a market capitalization historically under $200 million, QUICKLOGIC operates with a lean team — headcount was approximately 70 full-time employees as of its most recent filings. Faith, who joined in 2012 as vice president of worldwide sales and ascended to CEO in 2016, has concentrated the firm's resources on customer-funded eFPGA development, reducing R&D overhead while accelerating design wins. In fiscal 2023, licensing revenue grew 73% year-over-year, accounting for over 40% of total revenue for the first time (per the firm's 2023 annual report). The company maintains its foundry relationship with SkyWater Technology, announced in 2021, for domestic manufacturing of its rad-hard and defense-grade FPGAs. What structurally separates QUICKLOGIC from legacy FPGA vendors is its pure-play IP licensing model. Rather than compete on transistor density against AMD-Xilinx or Intel-Altera, the company licenses synthesizable Verilog cores that customers integrate at the chip design stage. This makes QUICKLOGIC a semiconductor IP company in the mold of an ARM Holdings, not a traditional chipmaker — an architecture that generates recurring royalty revenue tied to customer chip volumes rather than the one-time sale of a physical component.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
1983
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Jose
Corporate office
San Jose, CA, United States
Principals
Brian Faith
President and Chief Executive Officer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What does QUICKLOGIC Corp actually sell?
QUICKLOGIC operates two business lines: mature, low-power FPGA chips sold primarily into defense and industrial applications, and a growing eFPGA IP licensing unit. The IP business allows semiconductor companies to embed reprogrammable logic into their own chips by licensing QUICKLOGIC's Australis technology, generating royalties on customer chip volumes. This licensing model now generates the majority of the company's gross margin (per the firm's 2023 annual report).
How is QUICKLOGIC different from Xilinx or Intel's FPGA division?
QUICKLOGIC does not compete on high-density, high-performance standalone FPGAs. Instead, it licenses synthesizable eFPGA intellectual property that customers integrate directly into their own SoC designs, eliminating the need for an off-chip FPGA. This positions QUICKLOGIC closer to an IP licensing model similar to ARM than to a traditional semiconductor manufacturer. The company also supplies rad-hard FPGAs for defense, a niche where Xilinx and Intel do not dominate to the same degree.
Who are QUICKLOGIC's known customers or licensees?
QUICKLOGIC has publicly disclosed eFPGA licensing relationships with Intel (through its foundry services program) and SkyWater Technology. The company also sells physical FPGA components to U.S. defense contractors for use in missile guidance and secure communications applications. Specific end-customer names in defense programs are typically not disclosed due to security clearances (per the firm's SEC filings).
Is QUICKLOGIC a semiconductor manufacturer?
No. QUICKLOGIC has been fabless since its founding, meaning it designs and sells chips but outsources all manufacturing to third-party foundries. The company's defense-grade FPGAs are manufactured domestically by SkyWater Technology, while its commercial products are fabricated by overseas foundry partners. The eFPGA IP business carries zero manufacturing overhead, as it delivers synthesizable Verilog code rather than physical silicon.
What investment stages or deal types does QUICKLOGIC target?
QUICKLOGIC is a publicly traded operating company, not an investment firm. It does not make venture investments, fund commitments, or direct deals. Allocators evaluating the stock typically assess it under public equities as a small-cap semiconductor IP play, with revenue tied to licensing royalty streams and defense procurement cycles rather than startup portfolio returns.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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