Golioth: Firmware updates, device management and data pipelines for embedded products

Golioth, now part of Canonical, provides cloud services and firmware tooling for managing microcontroller-based connected products.

Summary

Best for
Embedded product teams needing cloud device services without building that infrastructure themselves.
Less suited to
Teams seeking a finished building-management application rather than developer services.
Deployment
Managed cloud services integrated with firmware on supported embedded platforms.
Data in
Device telemetry, logs, settings and firmware; data pipelines route readings to other services.
Pricing
Published usage-based model charges for streamed or stored data above included allowances.

Overview

Golioth supplies cloud services and firmware tooling for teams building connected embedded products. Its platform description combines device management, data collection and remote configuration with support for several microcontroller development environments. The product targets the infrastructure that sits between firmware and a business application, rather than prescribing one finished monitoring dashboard. Its documentation covers secure device connections, updates and the movement of measurements to other systems. Golioth is now part of Canonical: the 3 March 2026 announcement states that the platform and APIs continue, with the product retaining its focus on microcontroller-class devices.

Offering

The device-management service includes firmware updates, remote settings, procedure calls and device logs. Fleet organisation uses device tags, blueprints and update cohorts, which allow configurations and releases to target defined groups. The platform advertises support for Zephyr, Nordic nRF Connect SDK, ESP-IDF and FreeRTOS development paths, among others. Its preferred direct network connections include cellular, Wi-Fi and Ethernet, with Thread also described. These are firmware and networking integration choices for product engineers. The accompanying documentation separates device setup from application services so teams can develop the device and its cloud behaviour together.

Products and platforms

  1. Golioth device management

    Embedded fleet services

    Firmware updates, settings, remote procedure calls, device logs and credentials.3

  2. Golioth Pipelines

    Data routing

    YAML-defined transformations and destinations for device telemetry.3

  3. LightDB Stream

    Time-series service

    Timestamped device data accessible through REST and command-line tools.5

  4. Golioth reference designs

    Embedded development examples

    Documented power, vibration, air-quality and asset-tracking designs.6

Technology

Golioth Pipelines uses YAML configuration to transform device-native payloads and route data to external services. LightDB Stream stores timestamped data and exposes it through a REST API and the goliothctl command-line tool. The separation allows a product to use Golioth's device management while directing measurements to a database or application elsewhere. Device credentials and certificate authentication are also part of the platform description, alongside permissions for administrators. Pricing is presented as usage-based, with charges tied to data streamed or stored beyond included allowances rather than a flat charge for every registered device.

Markets

The Golioth Solutions Services catalogue includes reference designs for AC and DC power monitoring, Modbus vibration monitoring, air-quality sensing, cold-chain tracking and OBD-II/CAN asset tracking. These examples show the company's focus on connecting physical measurements and embedded firmware to cloud services. The Modbus vibration example combines temperature and vibration data for maintenance applications, while the DC power example concerns equipment consumption. They are developer starting points and service offerings, not evidence that every possible external instrument is already supported. The catalogue also links partner engineering services for turning an initial design into a custom connected product.

Company

Golioth's company page names Jonathan Beri as founder and CEO and describes a distributed team with experience in embedded systems and developer tools. Its own services listing dates the business to 2020 and gives San Francisco as its location. On 3 March 2026, Beri announced that Golioth had become part of Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu. The announcement connects Golioth-managed microcontrollers with Ubuntu Core systems and cloud infrastructure, while explicitly retaining Golioth's platform and APIs. The product identity therefore remains useful to developers, but its ownership should no longer be described as an independent startup. Its official company profile identifies San Francisco, United States as headquarters.

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References

  1. Golioth company and leadership (opens in a new tab)
  2. Golioth joins Canonical: 3 March 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  3. Golioth platform services (opens in a new tab)
  4. Golioth documentation overview (opens in a new tab)
  5. LightDB Stream overview (opens in a new tab)
  6. Golioth Solutions Services company and reference designs (opens in a new tab)
  7. Official company LinkedIn profile: headquarters reviewed 27 September 2026 (opens in a new tab)

This profile does not imply a commercial relationship with Golioth and may contain inaccuracies.