Akoustis

Akoustis™ is a “fabless” high-tech semiconductor company leveraging their strategic partnerships to manufacture its unique, patent-pending single-crystal acoustic wave technology.  Akoustis’ business model is capital efficient, which leverages decades of cap-x investments in the semiconductor industry.

<div>Akoustis Technologies, Inc. is an integrated device manufacturer specializing in patented bulk acoustic wave (BAW) high-band RF filters for mobile and other wireless applications. The company utilizes its proprietary XBAW manufacturing process to produce bulk acoustic wave RF filters that facilitate signal acquisition and accelerate band performance between the antenna and digital back end. Akoustis' technology aims to address market requirements for improved RF filters, targeting higher bandwidth, higher operating frequencies, and higher output power compared to legacy polycrystalline BAW technology.</div>

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Akoustis, a wireless tech concern, enters bankruptcy

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 Akoustis Technologies, Inc. is an integrated device manufacturer specializing in patented bulk acoustic wave (BAW) high-band RF filters for mobile and other wireless applications. The company utilizes its proprietary XBAW manufacturing process to produce bulk acoustic wave RF filters that facilitate signal acquisition and accelerate band performance between the antenna and digital back end. Akoustis' technology aims to address market requirements for improved RF filters, targeting higher bandwidth, higher operating frequencies, and higher output power compared to legacy polycrystalline BAW technology.
 
 
 
 
 The company operates a 125,000 sq. ft. ISO-9001:2015 registered commercial wafer-manufacturing facility in Canandaigua, NY, which includes a class 100 / class 1000 cleanroom facility tooled for 150-mm diameter wafers. This facility is used for the design, development, fabrication, and packaging of RF filters, MEMS, and other semiconductor devices. Akoustis' XBAW technology is particularly focused on developing filters that operate at frequencies above three GHz.
 
 
 
 
 In January 2023, Akoustis acquired Grinding and Dicing Services, Inc. (GDSI), a US-based provider of premium back-end semiconductor supply chain services, for USD 20 million. This acquisition was intended to support Akoustis' strategy to reshore its packaging of XBAW filters to the US and to support its anticipated application for funding under the CHIPS and Science Act.
 
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SiFive is a fabless semiconductor company founded in 2015 that specializes in designing processor cores and chips based on the open-source RISC-V instruction set architecture. The company provides commercial RISC-V-based platforms and custom silicon solutions, offering a range of processor core IP, development boards, and SoCs. SiFive's technology enables system designers to quickly and easily build custom chips for various applications including data centers, networking, storage, and edge computing. The company's cores offer 30-40% better power efficiency and a smaller size compared to alternatives, allowing for more cores on a chip. SiFive's online platform simplifies the process of designing and testing chips and core IP, even for those new to silicon development. In September 2020, SiFive appointed Patrick Little as President and CEO to accelerate adoption of its technology for next-generation computing solutions. As of March 2022, SiFive had a post-money valuation between USD 1-10 billion.
Key customers and partnerships
SiFive has collaborated with several high-profile organizations. In 2022, NASA announced that SiFive's RISC-V-compatible CPU cores would power its new High-Performance Spaceflight Computer, expected to deliver a 100-fold improvement in performance over its predecessor. SiFive has also worked with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center to create an open-source API for popular compilers, enabling applications to use the RISC-V Vector Extension for high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and computer vision. The company has partnerships with major technology firms, as evidenced by its involvement in initiatives supporting RISC-V International.

SiFive

Alif Semiconductor is a supplier of 32-bit AI/ML-enabled microcontrollers (MCUs) and fusion processors. Founded in 2019, the company's flagship product line is the Ensemble family, which ranges from single-core microcontrollers to multi-core fusion processors. The Ensemble devices combine Arm Cortex-M55 MCU cores, Cortex-A32 microprocessor cores, and Ethos-U55 microNPUs for AI/ML acceleration. Alif's processors are designed to be energy efficient, utilizing the company's Autonomous Intelligent Power Management (aiPM) technology that powers on only what's needed, when needed. This allows for extended battery life in applications like wearables, security cameras, and IoT devices.
The Ensemble family includes the E1, E3, and E7 series, with the E1C serving as an entry-level option. These processors offer high AI performance combined with ultra-low power consumption. For instance, the Balletto family, announced in April 2024, is claimed to be the world's first Bluetooth Low Energy wireless microcontroller featuring hardware optimization for AI/ML workloads. It can perform up to 46 GOPS (Giga Operations Per Second) and is designed for applications such as true wireless stereo earbuds and lifestyle wristbands.
Alif's processors incorporate advanced security features, including a Secure Enclave with its own resources and a configurable secure firewall structure. The company's security architecture aims to counter and resist malicious attacks in deployed edge products. Alif Semiconductor's products are designed to enable seamless integration of technology for everyday life by focusing on low-power techniques, functional integration, accelerated AI and ML edge processing, high security, wireless connectivity, and operating system diversity.
Key customers and partnerships
Alif Semiconductor has collaborated with several companies in the semiconductor and technology sectors. In November 2022, Alif partnered with onsemi to create a camera reference design for low-power applications using machine vision. This collaboration aimed to address challenges in implementing imaging products with long battery life and localized AI/ML capabilities.
In January 2024, Alif Semiconductor and Telit Cinterion unveiled the Vision AppKit, described as the world's smartest and most efficient connected camera reference design. This kit combines Telit Cinterion's wireless technology with Alif's Ensemble E3 series MCU for on-device AI use cases like face and object detection and image classification.
Alif has also worked with Plumerai, a creator of edge AI solutions, to deploy what they claim is the world's most precise person detection on the Ensemble platform. This collaboration demonstrated the potential for accurate computer vision AI in a small form factor that can run on battery power for extended periods.

Alif Semiconductor

Atmosic Technologies is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in ultra-low-power wireless platforms for the internet of Things (IoT). The company's core focus is on developing energy-efficient solutions that reduce or eliminate battery dependency in connected devices. Atmosic's product portfolio includes system-on-chips (SoCs) based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, enhanced with proprietary features for improved power efficiency and energy harvesting capabilities.
Atmosic's flagship products include the ATM3 and ATM33 series of Bluetooth 5.3 SoCs, which incorporate the company's Lowest Power Radio and On-demand Wake-Up technologies. These innovations enable Atmosic's chips to achieve significantly lower power consumption compared to standard Bluetooth solutions. The company's latest offering, the ATM34/e series announced in January 2024, expands its capabilities to support Matter-over-Thread protocol, providing additional flexibility for smart home applications.
The company's technology has found applications in various IoT devices, including asset trackers, beacons, remote controls, keyboards, mice, and wearables. One notable implementation is in Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag2, which utilizes Atmosic's ATM3325 SoC to achieve a 43% reduction in power consumption compared to its predecessor.
Atmosic's business model revolves around selling its SoCs to device manufacturers and providing development platforms to support integration into various IoT products. The company aims to address the growing demand for sustainable and low-maintenance IoT solutions across multiple sectors, including consumer, enterprise, healthcare, and industrial applications.
Key customers and partnerships
Atmosic has established partnerships with several companies in the IoT ecosystem. Samsung Electronics incorporated Atmosic's ATM3325 SoC into its Galaxy SmartTag2, showcasing the technology's ability to extend battery life in consumer products. In March 2023, Atmosic collaborated with Dracula Technologies to create a battery-free remote control reference design, combining Atmosic's ATM33 SoC with Dracula's organic photovoltaic technology.
The company has also partnered with Exeger, a Swedish manufacturer of solar cell technology, to develop energy harvesting solutions for IoT devices. In July 2024, Atmosic announced a partnership with blukii, a brand of hard&softWERK, to power a new Bluetooth beacon with extended battery life.
Atmosic's customer base has expanded significantly, with the company reporting a 500% increase in its customer base and a tenfold increase in shipments in January 2022. The company has also formed a partnership with Universal Electronics Inc., a global leader in universal control solutions for home entertainment and smart home devices.
In the distribution space, Atmosic partnered with Mouser Electronics in December 2023 to make its products more accessible to IoT developers worldwide. This partnership aims to accelerate the growth of sustainable IoT devices by providing immediate access to Atmosic's low-power wireless portfolio.

Atmosic

TenaFe, Inc. is a solid-state drive (SSD) controller startup that develops innovative storage technologies for data centers, edge computing, and client OEM applications. The company specializes in creating PCIe NVMe SSD controllers with advanced features. TenaFe's product lineup includes PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD controllers designed with DRAMless architecture, such as the TC2200, which achieves transfer rates of 4.8GB/s, and the TC2201, which can reach speeds up to 7.4GB/s. For data center applications, TenaFe offers the TC2310, a PCIe Gen 5 NVMe controller that prioritizes performance, power efficiency, and low latency, with a maximum active power average of less than 20W. This controller is compatible with various form factors including E1.S, E1.L, U.2, and E3.S. TenaFe also produces the TB2200, a PCIe Gen 4 NVMe BGA SSD designed for emerging applications such as autonomous vehicles, AR/VR products, and gaming phones. This small form factor SSD is soldered down to provide vibration resistance and shock-proof capabilities. In addition to hardware, TenaFe has developed TenaFe Insight, an SSD development platform that streamlines the process from architecture design to mass production, allowing for on-site or cloud-based development and collaboration with partners. The company's technology incorporates a patented LDPC engine to improve Quality of Service, leading-edge compression algorithms to enhance endurance and capacity, and designs optimized for minimal power consumption.

TenaFe

Menlo Micro is a company that specializes in developing and manufacturing innovative microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches, known as the Ideal Switch technology. The company's core product offering is a range of high-performance MEMS switches that combine the benefits of mechanical relays and solid-state switches. Menlo Micro's Ideal Switch technology enables switches that are significantly smaller, faster, and more reliable than traditional electromechanical relays while providing lower power consumption and better efficiency than solid-state alternatives.
The company's product portfolio includes various switch configurations such as single-pole/single-throw (SPST), single-pole/four-throw (SP4T), and double-pole/double-throw (DPDT) switches. These switches are designed for applications across multiple industries, including industrial automation, smart building controls, energy management systems, telecommunications, aerospace and defense, medical devices, and consumer electronics.
One of Menlo Micro's flagship products is the MM9200, introduced in December 2022. This device is capable of handling 10A of current in a miniature 5mm x 5mm surface-mount package, with an ultra-low contact resistance of 0.010 ohms. The MM9200 offers fast switching speeds of 10 microseconds, a voltage standoff of ±300V, and a mechanical endurance of over 1 billion switching cycles. In March 2023, the company released the MM1200, a six-channel SPST switch designed for power and signal switching applications in both DC and AC circuits.
To support its Ideal Switch products, Menlo Micro also develops complementary technologies such as the MM101, an 8-channel low-voltage to high-voltage driver with an integrated charge pump, released in January 2023. This driver solution aims to simplify the integration of Menlo Micro's switches into various applications.
In July 2023, Menlo Micro announced plans to establish its first domestic production facility, called the Ideal Fab, in Tompkins County, New York. The company committed to investing USD 50 million in this facility over three years, with the potential for additional investments up to USD 150 million as part of a multi-year growth strategy.

Menlo Micro

Companies that develop low-power, high-performance semiconductors for sensors, wearables, and other connected devices.

Companies that develop semiconductors that can support high-bandwidth and low-latency requirements of 5G networks and other wireless communication technologies.

Companies that develop semiconductors that focus on automotive applications such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving as well as in-car entertainment and communication systems.

Companies that develop semiconductors to improve the performance of data center infrastructure.

Companies developing semiconductors for other emerging tech applications, including quantum and edge computing.

Companies in the IoT applications segment develop semiconductors for sensors, wearables, and other connected devices

Develop semiconductor materials and technologies to advance technologies such as IoT, 5G, and AutoTech

RF applications segment companies develop semiconductors for 5G networks and other wireless communication technologies

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