Design partner pilot: Working deployment assurance and compliance platform — validating end-to-end appliance workflow (Mac Mini → Install → Register → Deploy → Telemetry → Rollback → Audit Package) with partners now. Not a claim of complete Edge AI platform or certification authority.
Procurement-safe positioning: ISO 26262-aligned evidence, traceability, gate reviews, and continuous compliance support — not certification authority, full ISO automation, or autonomous certification claims.
Open Operations Console
BYOH vs Certified (sales appendix)
Gate & layer architecture
Quantum Marketplace
Architecture maturity
The enterprise narrative spans the full lifecycle — from agent development through deployment, certification, and edge operation.
Quantum Studio
│
▼
Nexus Runtime
│
▼
Nexus CertOps
│
▼
AIEdge Deployment Platform
│
├── BYOH (Bring Your Own Hardware)
└── Certified Appliance (optional)
│
▼
Vehicles · Robots · Cameras · Factories · Industrial Equipment
Stronger than “AI Assurance” alone — this covers build → govern → certify → deploy → operate for Quadric, Tier-1, industrial, and government buyers.
Executive summary
SD Panthers AIEdge is an enterprise edge AI operating platform sold primarily as software — with optional certified reference hardware for customers who want turnkey deployment.
Four integrated software products span the lifecycle:
- Quantum Studio — Build & validate governed agents
- Nexus Runtime — Govern & operate fleet deployments
- Nexus CertOps — Certify & trace compliance evidence
- AIEdge Deployment Platform — Deploy & execute on customer or certified hardware Pilot roadmap
Hybrid deployment model
Software first, certified hardware second. Tier-1 and silicon buyers already have NPU boards, Jetson systems, industrial PCs, and vehicle compute platforms — they want a governed software platform plus optional reference appliances, not proprietary hardware lock-in.
AIEdge Software
Customer installs on existing infrastructure:
- Mac Mini · Dell / HP servers
- Industrial fanless PC
- NVIDIA Jetson · NPU boards
- Automotive compute units
- Existing edge infrastructure
AIEdge Certified Appliance Optional
SD Panthers sells turnkey reference hardware:
- AIEdge Mini — Mac Mini class (lab / pilot)
- AIEdge Industrial — Fanless industrial PC
- AIEdge Vehicle — Rugged automotive unit
- AIEdge Enterprise — 1U rack server
Go-to-market: Bring your own hardware or buy a certified AIEdge appliance — same Nexus stack, same CertOps evidence, same credits model.
Go-to-market phases — software first
Same path as VMware, Red Hat, and Databricks: prove the software platform, then package reference hardware when design partners ask for turnkey deployment.
Phase 1 — Now
Software-first
Build:
- Quantum Studio
- Nexus Runtime
- Nexus CertOps
- AIEdge Deployment Platform
Installable via:
curl -fsSL install.aiedge.ai | bash
docker compose up
helm install aiedgeSupported targets: Mac Mini · Ubuntu Server · Intel/AMD · Jetson · Industrial PC · Cloud VM
Goal: Customer deploys AIEdge in <30 minutes on existing hardware.
Phase 2 — After 2–3 pilots
Reference hardware
Ship AIEdge Mini on Mac Mini class hardware — preloaded with AIEdge, Nexus, Quantum Studio, and local models.
Outcome:
- Software product (primary sale)
- + Reference appliance (accelerator)
Trigger: Validation from design partners — not a hardware-first bet.
Phase 3 — After customer feedback
Certified appliances
Only after real field evidence:
- AIEdge Industrial
- AIEdge Vehicle
- AIEdge Enterprise
Each SKU ships with compliance evidence packages and support contracts.
Not first: Enterprise/Vehicle racks come after software + Mini reference validation.
What to build first — sprint order
| Sprint | Tickets | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Sprint 1 | AIEDGE-2102 Appliance Provisioning · AIEDGE-2103 Edge Agent · NEXUS-2201 Agent Registry · NEXUS-2202 Prompt Registry | Provision + register agents on BYOH targets |
| Sprint 2 | NEXUS-2203 Deployment Gates · NEXUS-2204 Risk Engine · CERTOPS-2301 ISO 26262 Pack | Governed deploy + automotive evidence pack |
| Sprint 3 | Installer · Docker package · Mac Mini support · Jetson support | <30 min install on lab + embedded targets |
| Sprint 4 | AIEdge Mini reference appliance | Turnkey pilot SKU after design-partner validation |
What Quadric (and Tier-1 buyers) care about first
Not AIEdge Enterprise hardware on day one — but whether the software platform solves governance and certification operations:
- Track compiler versions?
- Track model versions?
- Provide traceability?
- Generate evidence?
- Support ISO 26262-aligned workflows?
- Support deployment governance?
Recommendation: Do not build hardware first. Build AIEdge Deployment Platform as installable software. Ship AIEdge Mini as a reference appliance only after design-partner validation — then expand to Industrial, Vehicle, and Enterprise when customers demand turnkey deployment with full evidence packages.
Platform architecture
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SD PANTHERS AIEDGE PLATFORM │
│ Enterprise Edge AI Operating Platform │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ QUANTUM STUDIO │ │
│ │ Build · Test · Simulate · Package │ │
│ │ Agent Builder → Workflow Builder → Simulation → Evaluation → Dataset Manager │ │
│ │ Output: Agent Package (.apkg) · Model Package (.mpkg) · Deployment Package (.dpkg) │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ NEXUS RUNTIME │ │
│ │ Govern · Operate · Monitor · Audit │ │
│ │ Policy Engine · Risk Engine · Audit Ledger · Drift Monitoring │ │
│ │ Model · Device · Agent · Prompt · Deployment Registries · Review Workflows │ │
│ │ Budget Manager · Evidence Manager · AIEdge Gateway (Auth · RBAC · Credits) │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ NEXUS CERTOPS │ │
│ │ Certify · Trace · Qualify · Package │ │
│ │ Safety Case · Traceability · Requirements Matrix · Tool Qualification │ │
│ │ Compiler Assurance · Safety Manuals · Compliance Package · ISO 26262 / 21434 │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ AIEDGE DEPLOYMENT PLATFORM (software) │ │
│ │ Virtual Appliance · Physical Appliance · Cloud-Managed Edge │ │
│ │ Model Runtime · Device Gateway · Telemetry · Local TSDB · Nexus Edge Agent │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌──────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────┐ │
│ ▼ ▼ │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ CUSTOMER HARDWARE (BYOH) │ │ AIEDGE CERTIFIED APPLIANCE (opt.) │ │
│ │ Mac Mini · Servers · Jetson │ │ Mini · Industrial · Vehicle · Ent. │ │
│ └──────────────────────────────┘ └──────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ EDGE DEVICES — Vehicles · Robots · Cameras · Factories · PLCs · Medical Devices │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Product 1: Quantum Studio Live
One-liner: Build, test, simulate, and package governed AI agents for edge deployment.
Agent Builder
- Governed agent orchestration (UAOR workflows)
- Marketplace agents with credit metering
- Model card & package metadata
- Human review gates before deploy
Workflow Builder
- Visual pipeline designer
- Pre/post-processing nodes
- Conditional branching & error handling
- Integration adapters (GitHub, Jira, exports)
Simulation
- Scenario generation for edge cases
- Batch simulation runner
- CARLA / Gazebo / Isaac Sim integration (roadmap)
- Evaluation evidence for CertOps
Evaluation & test
- Accuracy, latency, robustness metrics
- Edge-case & adversarial testing
- Property-based testing & fuzzing
- Coverage analysis for release readiness
Outputs: Agent Package (.apkg) · Model Package (.mpkg) · Deployment Package (.dpkg)
Route: /quantum · packages register in Nexus via AIEdge Gateway
Product 2: Nexus Runtime Live
One-liner: Deployment assurance and compliance operations for edge AI — govern, monitor, audit, and rollback production deployments. Appliance install path in design-partner validation.
Policy engine
- Deployment approve / hold / rollback
- Hierarchical policies (org → fleet → device)
- Real-time gate evaluation
- Policy versioning and audit
Risk engine
- Real-time risk scoring by vertical
- Fleet-level aggregation
- Drift-linked risk alerts
- Release readiness scoring
Audit ledger
- Immutable, tamper-evident logs
- Hash chain verification
- Audit package export
- Who approved what, when, and why
Drift monitoring
- Input drift (PSI)
- Output confidence degradation
- Operational drift (ODD violations)
- Alerting and rollback triggers
Registries
- Model · Device · Deployment registries
- Agent registry · Prompt registry
- Multi-vertical fleet (auto, robotics, fabs, QC)
- Live telemetry & heartbeat
Budget manager
- Compute · Governance · Agent credits
- Usage metering via AIEdge Gateway
- Org quotas & marketplace revenue share
- Chargeback-ready usage dashboard
Public API: /api/aiedge/* · Console: /aiAssurance
Product 3: Nexus CertOps Pilot
One-liner: Certify, trace, qualify, and package safety evidence for regulatory-aligned compliance workflows.
Safety case manager
- Safety case templates per standard
- Hazard analysis (HARA)
- ASIL determination
- Safety goal definition
Traceability engine
- Hazard → Requirement → Test → Evidence
- Bidirectional traceability (GSN roadmap)
- Impact analysis on model change
- Gap detection
Gate engine
- ISO 26262 gates 0–7 lifecycle
- Waiver manager with expiry
- Continuous compliance & OTA delta
- Audit package export (ZIP)
Compiler assurance
- TVM · LLVM · MLIR qualification (roadmap)
- Compiler version registry
- Validation evidence & regression matrix
- Key Tier-1 / silicon differentiator
Tool qualification
- Tool inventory (compilers, analyzers, test tools)
- Qualification level (TCL1–3)
- Qualification evidence
- Re-qualification triggers
Safety manuals & packages
- Per-deployment safety manuals
- As-built configuration
- Compliance package generator
- Customer-branded audit exports
Standards supported
| Standard | Domain | CertOps module |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 26262 | Automotive (ASIL A–D) | Safety case, traceability, tool qualification |
| ISO 21434 | Cybersecurity | Threat analysis, evidence |
| ISO 21448 (SOTIF) | Automated driving | ODD analysis, triggering events |
| ASPICE | Process maturity | Requirements, traceability |
| IEC 62304 | Medical devices | Safety classification, evidence |
| IEC 61508 | Industrial safety | SIL determination |
| EU AI Act | High-risk AI | Risk categories, documentation |
Public API: /api/compliance/*
Product 4: AIEdge Deployment Platform Pilot roadmap
One-liner: Deploy governed AI on customer hardware or certified reference appliances — virtual, physical, or cloud-managed edge.
Deployment modes
Virtual appliance
- VM / container on existing servers
- Mac Mini, Dell, HP, industrial PC
- Same Nexus edge agent & telemetry stack
- Fastest path for lab and pilot fleets
Physical appliance
- Bare-metal or hardened edge install
- BYOH or AIEdge Certified Appliance
- Air-gapped capable · TPM / LUKS
- Factory, warehouse, vehicle ECU adjacency
Cloud-managed edge
- Nexus control plane in cloud
- Local inference + telemetry buffer
- OTA via AIEdge Gateway policies
- Async batch sync to Nexus Runtime
Platform services
- Model runtime (TVM / ONNX / TensorRT)
- Device gateway (X.509 onboarding)
- Telemetry collector & ODD capture
- Local TSDB · signed audit buffer
Supported platforms (BYOH)
| Platform class | Examples | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop / lab | Mac Mini (M-series), small form-factor PC | Pilot, dev, edge lab |
| Enterprise server | Dell PowerEdge, HP ProLiant, Intel/AMD 1U–4U | Factory, warehouse, datacenter edge |
| Embedded AI | NVIDIA Jetson, NPU boards, existing silicon stacks | Robotics, cameras, Tier-1 integrations |
| Industrial PC | Fanless DIN-rail, ruggedized IPC | Line QC, fabs, PLCs |
| Automotive compute | Vehicle ECU adjacency, rugged automotive units | ADAS, in-cabin, fleet edge |
AIEdge Certified Appliance Optional SKU
For customers who prefer turnkey deployment instead of BYOH — same software, pre-validated hardware profile.
| Product | Reference hardware | Target |
|---|---|---|
| AIEdge Mini | Mac Mini class (M-series) | Lab, pilot, edge dev |
| AIEdge Industrial | Industrial fanless PC | Factory, warehouse, DIN-rail |
| AIEdge Vehicle | Rugged automotive compute unit | Automotive Tier-1, fleet |
| AIEdge Enterprise | 1U rack server (Xeon / EPYC + GPU option) | Plant, fab, enterprise edge |
Agent & prompt registry
Part of Nexus Runtime — tracks what Quantum Studio produces through deployment.
| Registry | Fields | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Agent registry | Agent ID, version, owner, approval, evidence, telemetry, rollback | Track agents from build through production |
| Prompt registry | Prompt ID, version, model, input/output schema, validation status | Govern LLM / prompt-based agents |
Complete data flow
Quantum Studio
│
│ Package (.apkg / .mpkg / .dpkg) + signature
▼
Nexus Runtime (AIEdge Gateway)
│
├── Registries: store package
├── Policy engine: evaluate gates
├── CertOps: safety case & traceability
├── Credits: meter compute / governance / agent usage
│
│ Deployment approval (Gate 5)
▼
AIEdge Deployment Platform
│
├── Virtual appliance (VM / container on customer server)
├── Physical appliance (BYOH or Certified Appliance)
└── Cloud-managed edge (local runtime + Nexus sync)
│
│ OTA update · signed telemetry · health reports
▼
Edge devices / downstream sensors
│
│ Inference + telemetry
▼
Local TSDB (on appliance or customer hardware)
│
│ Batch upload (async)
▼
Nexus Runtime
│
├── Drift monitoring · risk scoring · audit logging
│
│ Incident / drift detection
▼
Quantum Studio (retraining loop)
Platform readiness
| Area | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Quantum Studio | 9/10 | Live — governed workflows & marketplace |
| Nexus Runtime | 9.5/10 | Live — console, fleet, drift, credits |
| Nexus CertOps | 9.5/10 | Pilot — gates, waivers, OTA delta, audit export |
| AIEdge Deployment Platform | 9/10 | Roadmap — software-first; BYOH + certified SKUs |
| AIEdge Certified Appliance | 8.5/10 | Optional — Mini / Industrial / Vehicle / Enterprise |
| Platform cohesion | 9.5/10 | Quantum → Nexus → CertOps → deploy flow |
| Overall platform | 9.2/10 | Enterprise edge AI operating platform (pilot-ready) |
Strategic positioning
Executive one-liner:
SD Panthers AIEdge is an enterprise edge AI operating platform — sold as software, with optional certified appliances — that enables organizations to build, certify, deploy, govern, and continuously monitor AI across vehicles, robots, industrial equipment, and safety-critical edge environments.
SD Panthers AIEdge is an enterprise edge AI operating platform — sold as software, with optional certified appliances — that enables organizations to build, certify, deploy, govern, and continuously monitor AI across vehicles, robots, industrial equipment, and safety-critical edge environments.
Long-term business model (VMware / Red Hat / Nutanix pattern):
Quantum Studio → Nexus Runtime → Nexus CertOps → AIEdge Platform as the primary software sale, with optional AIEdge Certified Appliance for turnkey buyers. Software expands TAM; certified hardware accelerates time-to-value for customers without existing edge stacks.
Quantum Studio → Nexus Runtime → Nexus CertOps → AIEdge Platform as the primary software sale, with optional AIEdge Certified Appliance for turnkey buyers. Software expands TAM; certified hardware accelerates time-to-value for customers without existing edge stacks.
Value pyramid:
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CERTIFICATION │
│ (ISO 26262-aligned evidence) │
│ Nexus CertOps │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ GOVERNANCE │
│ (Policy, audit, risk, credits) │
│ Nexus Runtime │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ DEPLOYMENT │
│ Virtual · Physical · Cloud edge │
│ AIEdge Deployment Platform │
│ (+ optional Certified Appliance) │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ DEVELOPMENT │
│ (Build, test, simulate, package) │
│ Quantum Studio │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
Deployment options — BYOH vs certified appliance
The first question from Quadric, Tier-1 automotive, industrial OEMs, and government buyers: Do we need your hardware?
| Option | BYOH (Bring Your Own Hardware) | AIEdge Certified Appliance |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Existing infrastructure | SD Panthers-certified hardware |
| Time to deploy | Fast | Fastest |
| Validation | Customer responsibility | Pre-validated baseline |
| Support | Software support | Hardware + software support |
| Compliance evidence | Partial (software + customer HW profile) | Full platform evidence package |
| Air-gapped | Supported | Supported |
| Best for | Existing deployments, Jetson/NPU programs, leverage current contracts | New programs, regulated environments, fastest certification baseline |
AIEdge Deployment Platform
┌────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Nexus Runtime │
│ Nexus CertOps │
│ Quantum Studio │
└────────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌───────────────────┴───────────────────┐
│ │
▼ ▼
BYOH Certified Appliance
Mac Mini AIEdge Mini
Intel/AMD Server AIEdge Industrial
NVIDIA Jetson AIEdge Vehicle
Industrial PC AIEdge Enterprise
Automotive ECU
Why customers choose BYOH
- Use existing hardware (Jetson, NPU boards, vehicle compute)
- Leverage current vendor contracts
- Deploy faster into existing environments
- Lower upfront cost — software-only entry
- Larger addressable market for platform sale
Why customers choose certified appliances
- Known-good hardware + software combination
- Pre-qualified deployment baseline
- Simplified support model (single vendor)
- Faster certification evidence collection
- Reduced operational risk for new programs
Partner talking point: Same Nexus stack, same CertOps evidence, same credits model — whether the customer brings a Mac Mini and Jetson fleet or buys AIEdge Vehicle racks for a greenfield ADAS program.