MicroNova’s story began in a research lab at Oakland University, in the heart of Michigan’s Motor City. While much of the region’s engineering talent focused on cars, our founders took on a different kind of challenge: emerging research technologies that demanded extraordinary speed, precision and real-time processing.

Our early work centered on scanning probe microscopy, building FPGA-based control systems, digital signal processing and precision feedback algorithms for atomic force microscopes. That work set the foundation for everything since: high-performance systems where conventional processors simply aren’t fast or precise enough, and FPGAs make the technology possible. From there we moved into ultrasonics, and then into advanced development for defense and space. Our founders hold doctorates and patents in emerging FPGA architectures, and that research background still shapes how we work.

Our customers range from startups to Fortune 500 companies, Tier 1 automotive suppliers, research labs and defense primes. We’ve built pipeline inspection systems, pedestrian detection for driver assistance, LiDAR for autonomous vehicles and hardware for space. We’ve helped primes win competitive contracts and deliver what they promised, and helped SBIR-, seed- and series-funded startups get to the next level.

We can build the whole product, add the skills your team is missing, or step in when you’re stuck with a system that doesn’t work, underperforms or keeps turning up bugs. Most of our projects center on FPGA development, our deepest area of expertise.

Our own products

The Mercury 2 FPGA board is used by students, hobbyists and engineers. AmpliPro is our open-source whole-home audio system, with a growing community of DIY users.

Why customers keep working with us

One team, the whole stack
No one here is only an RTL engineer or only a firmware engineer. The same people write the code, design the RTL and read the schematics, so nothing falls through the gaps between groups.
Small and nimble
No layers of management between you and the work. Ask the engineer who wrote the code, and get a straight answer fast.
Easy to work with
We listen, explain our thinking and talk through the hard decisions with you. And never a black box: you own the design, the code and the IP, and your team can maintain it after we hand it off.
Proven where it counts
Hardware that has flown in orbit and inspection systems working miles under the sea, delivered on time and on budget.