diff --git a/src/profiling/IProfilingConnection.hpp b/src/profiling/IProfilingConnection.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8387f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/profiling/IProfilingConnection.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+//
+// Copyright © 2017 Arm Ltd. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+//
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "Packet.hpp"
+
+#include <cstdint>
+
+namespace armnn
+{
+
+namespace profiling
+{
+
+class IProfilingConnection
+{
+public:
+    virtual bool IsOpen() = 0;
+
+    virtual void Close() =  0;
+
+    virtual bool WritePacket(const char* buffer, uint32_t length) = 0;
+
+    virtual Packet ReadPacket(uint32_t timeout) = 0;
+};
+
+} // namespace profiling
+
+} // namespace armnn
diff --git a/src/profiling/ProfilingConnectionFactory.cpp b/src/profiling/ProfilingConnectionFactory.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b4924d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/profiling/ProfilingConnectionFactory.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+//
+// Copyright © 2017 Arm Ltd. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+//
+
+#include "ProfilingConnectionFactory.hpp"
+
+namespace armnn
+{
+
+namespace profiling
+{
+
+std::unique_ptr<IProfilingConnection> ProfilingConnectionFactory::GetProfilingConnection(
+    const Runtime::CreationOptions::ExternalProfilingOptions& options) const
+{
+    return nullptr;
+}
+
+} // namespace profiling
+
+} // namespace armnn
diff --git a/src/profiling/ProfilingConnectionFactory.hpp b/src/profiling/ProfilingConnectionFactory.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..102c820
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/profiling/ProfilingConnectionFactory.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+//
+// Copyright © 2017 Arm Ltd. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+//
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "IProfilingConnection.hpp"
+
+#include <Runtime.hpp>
+
+#include <memory>
+
+namespace armnn
+{
+
+namespace profiling
+{
+
+class ProfilingConnectionFactory final
+{
+public:
+    ProfilingConnectionFactory()  = default;
+    ~ProfilingConnectionFactory() = default;
+
+    std::unique_ptr<IProfilingConnection> GetProfilingConnection(
+        const Runtime::CreationOptions::ExternalProfilingOptions& options) const;
+};
+
+} // namespace profiling
+
+} // namespace armnn