FADU Technology (Fadu Inc.)
Category: AI Chips / Semiconductors
South Korean fabless semiconductor company designing high-performance SSD/NVMe flash storage controllers for data centers and AI infrastructure. FADU Technology (Fadu Inc.) was founded in 2015. The company is led by Nam Yi-hyun (남이현). Based in Seoul, South Korea. Team size: 101-500. Total funding raised: $62.3M. Latest round: IPO. Key investors include Forest Partners, IBK Capital, K Partners, Capstone Partners.
- Founded
- 2015
- Headquarters
- Seoul, South Korea
- Team size
- 101-500
- Total funding
- $62.3M
Value proposition
Designs advanced flash storage controllers (NVMe/PCIe SSD controllers) that enable high-performance, energy-efficient data center storage — a technology previously dominated by Samsung and Intel — targeting hyperscalers and enterprise data centers, now critical for AI infrastructure.
Products and solutions
SSD controllers: ECHO Gen5 (PCIe 5.0), DELTA Gen4 (PCIe 4.0), BRAVO Gen3, Sierra FC6161 (PCIe 6.0, up to 28.5 GB/s, 512TB capacity), FC3081 (RISC-V based PCIe 3.0), FC4121 (PCIe 4.0), power management ICs (PMICs) for NAND/DRAM, embedded storage solutions.
Unique value
Korea's first fabless semiconductor unicorn with proprietary NVMe/PCIe SSD controller architecture (up to PCIe 6.0, 28.5 GB/s, 3.4M IOPS) that delivers up to 2x power efficiency, serving hyperscalers and AI data centers.
Target customer
Global hyperscalers, data center operators, enterprise OEMs, and NAND flash manufacturers (SK Hynix). Sells to OEMs and hyperscalers, privately labels SSDs, does not sell to consumers.
Industries served
Data centers, AI infrastructure, enterprise storage, consumer electronics (SSDs for laptops/HPC), automotive, industrial applications.
Technology advantage
Proprietary NVMe flash controller architecture with up to 16-channel NAND interfaces supporting ONFi 5 at 2400 MT/s, industry-leading random read IOPS (3.4M), full PCIe 5.0/6.0 bandwidth utilization, and up to 2x power efficiency via integrated PMICs. RISC-V based designs. Secured supply deals with 2 of 4 global hyperscalers.
How they differentiate
Focuses on smaller data centers and hyperscaler needs with energy-efficient, high-performance NVMe controllers; proprietary RISC-V based architecture; strong SK Hynix partnership; Korea's only fabless SSD controller unicorn with a full product roadmap spanning PCIe 3.0 to 6.0.
Main competitors
Marvell, Phison, Silicon Motion (SMI), Microchip/Microsemi
Key partnerships
SK Hynix (business partner/NAND supplier), Western Digital (SSD co-development, 2024), ADATA (custom SSD development), Hagiwara Solutions (industrial-grade SSDs), TRUSTA and Giga Computing (enterprise server solutions), SanDisk (OCP Storage Project)
Notable customers
Meta, two of four global hyperscalers (secured SSD controller supply deals, Aug 2025), US data centers
Major milestones
2015 founded, 2020 Best of Show for Most Innovative Flash Memory Startup at Flash Memory Summit, 2022 swung to profit (₩4B operating profit on ₩50B+ sales), Feb 2023 became Korea's first fabless semiconductor unicorn (₩1.08T valuation), Aug 7, 2023 IPO on KOSDAQ (ticker 440110, market cap ₩1.51T), Dec 2023 US$30M Export Tower award, Aug 2025 secured SSD controller deals with 2 global hyperscalers, Dec 2025 faced delisting review over IPO fraud allegations, Feb 2026 cleared delisting review, transitioned to sole CEO Nam Yi-hyun, 2026 returned to profitability on AI data center demand.
Growth metrics
Q1 FY2026 revenue KRW 59.5B, operating profit KRW 7.7B (return to profitability); Q2 2026 revenue KRW 73.2B, operating profit KRW 16.3B (+112% QoQ); 2022 revenue ₩50B+; 2023 revenue ₩22.47B; Q3 2025 quarterly revenue ₩25.6B, YTD ₩68.5B.
Market positioning
Korea's first fabless semiconductor unicorn (2023) and first fabless chip firm to IPO on KOSDAQ. Aims to grow global SSD controller market share to 30% by 2026. Positioned as a challenger to US/Chinese SSD controller incumbents, riding AI data center demand.
Geographic focus
Global (US hyperscalers, Korea, Asia); competes primarily against US (Marvell, Microchip) and Taiwan (Phison, Silicon Motion) SSD controller makers.
Patents and IP
Proprietary NVMe flash controller architecture; RISC-V based controller designs; integrated PMIC technology for NAND/DRAM power management.
About Nam Yi-hyun (남이현)
Co-founder, CEO & CTO of FADU; B.S. Electrical Engineering and M.S./Ph.D. (computer/electrical-computer engineering) from Seoul National University; ~20 years SSD/storage expertise; worked at Comtec System and Future System R&D, SNU storage architecture lab, then SK Telecom Convergence Technology Institute (Storage Tech Lab, 2013–2015), and Soongsil University research professor (2015–2016) before founding FADU in 2015. Became sole CEO in Feb 2026 after co-CEO Lee Ji-hyo resigned amid an IPO probe.
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Official website: https://www.fadu.io