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September 9th, 2005
NemeriX, a fabless GPS Chipset Company based in Switzerland, has closed a 25 million Series B financing round. Investors
in the round included leading EDA vendor Cadence Design Systems along with Oak Investment partners and all of the company’s
Series A investors: Atila Ventures, Auriga Partners, PolyTechnos Venture-Partners, and VI Partners, participated.
NemeriX, focused on the Location Based Services market for mobile handsets, indicated that market combined with applications
in automotive navigations, asset tracking and other GPS markets should be worth 4.5 billion Euros in 2006.
NemeriX considers its chipsets the leader in low power consumption, reporting a 70 percent improvement over competitors.
Bandel Carano, General Partner at Oak, who is now on the NemeriX Board, sees the low power solution as key to winning GSP
markets such as cellular phones, “Oak strongly believes in the growth potential of existing and emerging GPS applications
and the importance of low power to penetrate these market. NemeriX has both the RF and GPS expertise, as well as the lowest
power, high performance solutions to be a leader in this exciting space.
Pointing out that NermriX also has already won major accounts was Eric Achtmann, Managing Partner at PolyTechnos,
“NemeriX has proven itself over the past year, gaining significant traction, winning major design-ins, and attracting
an exceptional team… the addition of Oak and significant capital will go far to help NemeriX realize its full potential”.
Septmeber 9th, 2005
eRide, Inc., a company that focuses on Global Positioning System
semiconductor technology, has selected NewLogic Technologies AG for the design of its digital, mixed signal and RFIC chips.
Arthur Woo, CEO at eRide, noted that system issue understanding was one of the reasons for the selection, "Complex SoC designs
require highly experienced and competent engineers who understand the system issues in order to ensure the design meets the
customer requirements and is competitive in the end market. We selected NewLogic, as NewLogic is able to provide the engineers
with such skills and so provide the excellent value which comes from enabling a successful product."
NewLogic Technologies, headquartered in Austria, has over 120 engineers
that support its design service and IP core development efforts.
August 24th, 2005
DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has awarded
Symmetricom $3.4 million in Phase-III funding. As part of the agreement, Symmetricom is to further reduce the size and power
consumption of its atomic clock. Goals are to shrink the chip scale atomic clock device to a size that is less than a sugar
cube. The technology being used to develop the technology is based on Symmetricom’s “proprietary coherent population
trapping (CPT) atomic interrogation technology and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication techniques.”
The company indicated that although atomic clocks are exceedingly
accurate, historically they have been hundreds of times larger than that of quartz based clocks and consume power equivalent
to that of today’s notebook computers. As part of Phase II of the project, Symmetricom has already demonstrated an atomic
clock that is ten times smaller and lower in power than any other atomic clocks. In Phase III of the program, Symmetricom
will again reduce the power by a factor of ten, reduce the size and improve the accuracy and stability, all with the goal
of reducing the size to that of a sugar cube and powering the atomic clock with a size AA battery.
Applications for such a device are for portable instruments used
in navigation, positioning, communications and other areas were an ultra-stable frequency reference is needed – like
secure communications.
Others that Symmetricom is working with on the project include the
Charles Stark Draper Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories, both, which have a history in advanced semiconductor and
technology research.
August 16th, 2005
CSI Wireless (TSE:CSY), a producer of wireless and GPS products
and a provider of wireless and integrated GPS chip technology, through the exercise of warrants has received proceeds of about
$5.1 million. In connection with the exercise of the warrants by warrant holders, the company issued 2,556,619 common shares.
CSI Wireless markets its electronic products to the Agriculture,
Telematics and Desktop Cellular Telephone markets. The company’s Intellectual Property has been licensed to semiconductor,
GPS and cellular handset companies. In May of 2005, the company announced through its Hemisphere GPS unit an internally
designed GPS chipset.
August 16th, 2005
Kenwood to use SiRF’s Technology for 3D Image Based Car Navigation System
SiRF Technology’s GPS technology, specifically the SiRF SiRFStarIIe/LP GPS chip set as
part of Toyo Communication Equipment Co., Ltd. TCM-9016A2 GPS receiver module, has been selected by Kenwood for use in its
HDM-555 HDD car navigation system. Kenwood’s car navigation system displays 3D images of upcoming exit ramps, buildings
and intersections. The system also provides real time traffic information and alternate travel routes as determined from Japan’s
Vehicle Information and Communication System.
Commenting on the selection of SiRF’s chipset was Yasuhiko
Ikeda, deputy president of Toyocom, "Toyocom selected the SiRFstarIIe/LP for its first GPS receiver module product because
of its outstanding price/performance and SiRF's reputation as a leader in GPS technology. Our partnership with SiRF gives
us confidence we can continue to provide Kenwood with outstanding GPS technology solutions to meet their most demanding requirements
today and in the future."
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